An Unexpected U.S. National Anthem at Halftime: A Full '26 Minutes'... The World Cup Final Degenerated into an "American-Style Show"

*This content was translated by AI.

The unexpected rendition of the U.S. national anthem caused delays in kickoff time and even violated football regulations, with halftime extending to 26 minutes. The FIFA World Cup final stage, which drew global attention, has been degraded into what is now called an "American-style show."

The 2026 FIFA North American Cup final between Spain and Argentina, held on the 20th (Korea time) at New Jersey Stadium in New York, USA, was already controversial before the match began.

Just moments before kickoff, singer Jennie Hudson took the stage as the anthem performer, causing the U.S. national anthem to be played unexpectedly. Even for a World Cup final, it is unheard of for the host nation's anthem to be performed.

Even if one argues it was a privilege granted to the host country, this tournament was co-hosted not only by the United States but also by Mexico and Canada. Yet, on that day, the only national anthem played was that of the United States.

In addition to the playing of the U.S. national anthem, various events announcing the kickoff of the World Cup final were added, causing the two teams' final match, originally scheduled for 4 a.m. Korea time, to kick off about five minutes late.

As a result, not only fans and spectators around the world but also players on the field had to wait until the referee's whistle signaled the official kickoff.

Moreover, for the first time in history, a "halftime show" was organized during this World Cup final, similar to the Super Bowl championship game of the U.S. National Football League (NFL).

Of course, it is significant that group BTS (BTS) graced the stage alongside Madonna and Justin Bieber, drawing global attention. However, apart from BTS's performance itself, the unprecedented halftime show held during the match has consistently been a target of criticism.

In particular, with this halftime show introduced, the halftime break between the first and second halves of the World Cup final was extended to a full 26 minutes—violating the International Football Association Board (IFAB) regulation that caps halftime at 15 minutes by more than 10 minutes.

IFAB, which sets football rules, stipulates that halftime should not exceed 15 minutes after considering players' performance and safety following the first half. However, FIFA extended the halftime break despite violating regulations, citing the "halftime show" as justification.

Ultimately, the players from both teams competing for the championship had to wait in the locker room until the halftime performance ended and the field was fully prepared before returning to the pitch much later than usual to begin the second half.

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*This content was translated by AI.