Why some purists can’t stand the idea of a World Cup halftime show

So, here we are, so far through the looking glass that we’re sitting down for dinner with the Mad Hatter, talking tactics with the Cheshire Cat and going through tournament predictions with the Queen of Hearts. A halftime show in the middle of a World Cup final – something so far removed from the origins of the sport that it feels delirious and almost unholy.

But that’s what football – yes, football – purists are going to have to deal with as this summer’s World Cup reaches its dramatic conclusion in New Jersey’s Meadowlands on July 19.

Global governing body FIFA confirmedThursday that, for the first time, “football, music and social impact will come together as the greatest show on earth reaches its pinnacle,” introducing Shakira, BTS and Madonna as performers for a halftime show during the final that’s being curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and, wait for it, characters from The Muppets.

And if you’re worried you’ve slipped into some acid-induced fever dream with Alice and The Caterpillar, fear not. You’re not alone.

The announcement has been met with mixed reactions, to say the least. Some see this as a way of making the World Cup final more accessible, leveraging it to a wider audience and taking the sport’s biggest moment to a higher level.

Others just don’t understand the fuss. For them, the World Cup final is more than enough on its own. All this razzmatazz is just another hit of nauseating commercialism which many feel has hijacked the game they fell in love with.

Two very different worlds

Ultimately, the halftime show is just another culture clash in a tournament full to the brim with just that.

For many Americans, this isn’t anything new. For them, entertainment and sports have always gone hand in hand. You only have to look at the Super Bowl to understand that.

And why shouldn’t a host nation stamp its own identity on matches played on its home turf? It’s kind of what makes the tournament so exciting in the first place.

There is also little issue with the performers themselves. Even the most ardent cynic would accept that Shakira is very much a part of World Cup history, with this edition marking the third time she’s fronted a song for the tournament. Her hit “Waka Waka” was the soundtrack for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, a tune that continues to trigger so much nostalgia and flashbacks to vuvuzelas.