During next month’s World Cup final in New Jersey, fans across the globe will be treated to a half-time show featuring Madonna, Shakira and KPop band BTS. The performance will also include characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets, in what Fifa president Gianni Infantino has promised will be a “celebration of football, unity and shared humanity”.
The packed line-up has sparked speculation that Fifa may need to lengthen the typical 15-minute half-time break in order to accommodate what is a quintessentially American spectacle copied straight from the Super Bowl.
While the World Cup will bring American-style razzmatazz to games, increasing the sport’s appeal in the country, US money and business acumen are already making their presence felt in Europe. Over the past decade American financing has reshaped global football in its image, with billions of dollars of investment, a fast-growing domestic audience and a generation of new players.