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Good morning football fans. It’s Thursday, July. 16 - The World Cup half-time show is expected to last 25 minutes, the ball used to score Maradona’s Hand of God goal is going to auction, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
TOP TALKING POINTS
25-Minute Half-Time Show
The first-ever World Cup final half-time show will last 11 minutes, with the full break expected to run between 25 and 30 minutes. This is despite the laws of the game, set by the International Football Association Board (Ifab), stating that players are entitled to a half-time break “not exceeding 15 minutes”. The final takes place on Sunday (July 19) at 15:00 ET (20:00 BST).
It’s not uncommon for half-time shows to exceed the usual 15-minute break. A half-time show was held during last year's Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, with the interval lasting over 24 minutes. Another half-time show at the Copa America final two years ago, organised by Conmebol, extended the interval to 25 minutes. Elsewhere, Super Bowl half-times last 20 to 30 minutes, while regular-season half-times last up to 13 minutes.
Broadcasters in the UK are split over how to air the half-time show. ITV has confirmed that it will broadcast the show in full, while the BBC is still finalising its plans. The extended interval should still leave roughly the usual 15 minutes to analyse the first half, as well as time to broadcast the 11-minute show.
Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, BTS, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS 22 Chorus featuring Coldplay are due to perform at this year’s half-time show. There will also be a closing ceremony starting 90 minutes before kick-off, featuring Robbie Williams, Tom Cruise, and Nicole Scherzinger.
Football Regulator’s First Act
Morecambe, a sixth-tier English side, have become the first club to face enforcement action from the independent football regulator (IFR), marking a significant moment for the newly established body. The IFR issued a warning notice to the club after the club's owners failed to respond to requests regarding its operations.
It comes after Morecambe’s recent relegation to the sixth-tier National League North, a division outside the IFR’s usual jurisdiction. The IFR’s warning notice states that it is minded to issue a censure statement, which would publicly name the club and its owners for breaching information requirements. The punishment is lenient because the club’s offence is considered to be at the lowest level of seriousness.
The IFR was established in law in July last year with the aim of protecting and promoting the financial sustainability of English football across the top five tiers of the men’s game in England. It’s the first of its kind in European football — dive deeper into the IFR’s powers and what it means for fans here.
Famous Ball Sale
The ball Diego Maradona scored the “Hand of God” goal with in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final will go up for auction, with bidding opening on July 31. The Dallas-based U.S. auction house, Heritage Auctions, expects bids of $10m or more, with the starting bid set at $2.5m. Watch the historic goal here.
The exact same ball, which Maradona also used to score the “Goal of the Century”, was listed in Goldin’s February 2023 auction and received a bid of $2.04m. The ball didn’t sell as it hadn’t met the seller’s minimum reserve price. Meanwhile, the ball that was used in the 1986 World Cup final was later sold for £36,000 at UK auction house BUDDS.
The shirt Maradona wore in that match holds the record for the most expensive football shirt sold at public auction, fetching $9.28m at a 2022 auction. Heritage Auctions seems to be pricing the ball similarly. Production manager Mike Provenzale said: “What we based it on was the jersey Maradona was wearing in that game. We think this is right in there, if not more valuable, given that it’s the actual ball that was put in the goal two times.”
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POLL
Who do you think will win the 2026 World Cup final?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> The England footballer and World Cup winner Nobby Stiles died with a brain condition caused by heading a football over 130,000 times, a coroner has ruled (More)
> The German Football Association refused to sign a letter to put forth Gianni Infantino as a candidate for another term as Fifa president (More)
> Police in Paris arrested more than 140 people following disorder after France’s semi-final exit to Spain at the World Cup (More) | Milan prosecutors have requested that a sports fraud case against Gianluca Rocchi, the former referee designator for Italy's Serie A and Serie B, be dismissed (More)
> Manchester City are intent on signing Lille’s 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi for €100m (£85m) (More) | Fenerbahce have signed forward Mason Greenwood for €39.5m in what will be his third club in three years after being ousted from Manchester United (More)
> London City Lionesses have signed France forward Kadidiatou Diani on a three-year deal for a fee exceeding £500,000 (More)
Americas
> Argentina will play Spain in the 2026 World Cup final after knocking out England in the semi-final with a 2-1 victory (Match Report) | Argentina is at risk of being sanctioned by Fifa after its players celebrated with a Falkland Islands banner (More) | The cheapest ticket for the World Cup Final between Argentina and Spain is currently $7,500 (More)
> All four of the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals beat the previous English- and Spanish-language viewership record in the US for a game in that round of the tournament (More)
> NWSL fixtures, Orlando Pride vs Boston Legacy and Gotham FC vs Washington Spirit, will conclude shortly after publication (Live Results)
Rest of the World
> A-League’s Matchweek 1 fixtures for the 2026-27 season have been revealed (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Are you looking forward to the World Cup final's first half-time show?
🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🤩 Yes (16%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (82%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)
Your punditry takes:
🤩 T.S: “It’s the greatest showcase in the world and deserves to be treated as such. The fans in the crowd will have also paid an extortionate amount to be there, so it only makes sense they get their money’s worth.”
🙅♂️ J.M: “I worry how this will affect the players. They will need almost a full pre-game workout after this longer-than-usual break. The hydration breaks seem to have a negative effect on momentum. Who cares about the half-time entertainment? Just get on with the game, that's what we are here for.”
🙅♂️ L.J: “Absolutely not, and I will be making a point of switching off. The half-time show is a long-standing tradition at the Super Bowl, which is fine, but they shouldn't shoehorn one into the World Cup final simply because it's in America. We're football fans, we don't need a concert spectacle to accentuate the experience.”
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GAME FACE ON
Question: How many World Cup finals have ended in a penalty shootout?
Scroll below for the answer.
Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.
My shirt was handed in for an exchange in their dressing room, and after about five minutes their kitman came out and handed it back.
Answer
Three (1994, 2006, 2022).
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