The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina will have a nearly 30-minute halftime break, according to reports. For the World Cup, marred by multiple controversies, including the halftime break, this adds another layer to it. A former President of FIFA questioned the need to change the halftime rules and compared the most prestigious game in soccer to the most prestigious game in football.
“The hydration breaks were just the start. On Sunday, the World Cup final will see the highlight of the tournament – the longest half-time-break in football history. The World Cup final is a copy of the Super Bowl. Quo vadis, FIFA?” Joseph Blatter, who served as the eighth president of FIFA, slammed the idea on X.
The hydration breaks were just the start. On Sunday, the World Cup final will see the highlight of the tournament – the longest half-time-break in football-history. The World Cup final as a copy of the Super Bowl. Quo vadis, FIFA? #fifa #fifaworldcupfootball #hydrationbreak…
— Joseph S Blatter (@SeppBlatter) July 17, 2026
When FIFA announced a star-studded lineup of Shakira, Madonna, Justin Bieber, BTS, Coldplay, and more would perform during the halftime show, rumors started of an elongated break started flying and it was confirmed that it could last up to 30 minutes. Moving away from the conventional 15-minute break, the idea was slammed by fans and pundits.
Blatter compared the World Cup final to the Super Bowl owing to a similar halftime show that lasts for 20-30 minutes with performances from leading artists. He termed it as the highlight of the tournament after the hydration break.
FIFA’s idea to introduce a mandator hydratiom break to protect players from the North American heat often dominated the discourse during the group stages. The controversial refereeing decisions and fan unrest, not to mention the red card decision that completely blew the soccer world apart.
Blatter’s unsparing attack on FIFA comes years after his resignation following a massive corruption scandal during his reign. After being elected in 1998, he presided over the unprecedented commercial expansion of the sport, but the scandal remains a blot on his CV. After stepping down in 2015, he was banned from participating in the activities of FIFA.
He has remained a staunch critic of FIFA and its new leadership under the current president, Gianni Infantino, ever since. He described Infantino’s governance as akin to a dictatorship and called him the “Sun King.”
Having criticized Trump’s political involvement, he also condemned the expansion of the tournament from 32 teams to 48 teams and even to 64 teams in the future.
By asking “Quo Vadis,” Latin for “Where are you going?” he raised concerns about the game, and his voice currently matches millions of fans who feel the same now.
