England soccer legend Wayne Rooney delivers harsh verdict on World Cup halftime show
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final offered fans a chance to watch young star Lamine Yamal and Spain clash against the reigning champions, Argentina, led by soccer great Lionel Messi, at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey.
This year’s final also featured the first-ever World Cup halftime show, including performers Madonna, Shakira, BTS, and Justin Bieber to entertain fans. Some may have enjoyed watching the halftime event, but not England soccer legend Wayne Rooney, who offered his harsh reaction.
“I like a lot of them artists, but I thought it was crap,” Rooney said to his colleagues while speaking with other BBC Sport co-stars covering the big game.
One of Rooney’s co-stars suggested maybe it was due to Bieber’s performance, which was particularly slow compared to some of the other songs musicians performed.
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Rooney, 40, appeared in three World Cups as one of England’s stars in 2006, 2010, and 2014. He scored just one goal through his various appearances. While his World Cup goals seem underwhelming, Rooney is known for holding the Manchester United record for all-time goals scored with 253.
Commenters seemed to agree with Rooney’s sentiments, replying to the video clip, “Yeah it was crap, they overdid the entertainment bits,” and “Rooney said what everyone was thinking.”
Others wrote, “30 mins half time show and FIFA world cup final in daytime doesn’t feel right,” and “Love Rooney says it how it is, no one wants to see this [expletive] during a football match.”
Per CBS Sports, the halftime show was curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin in collaboration with FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to help fundraise and expand education and football for kids globally. Other performers and special celebrity guests included Burna Boy, members of The Muppets, and Jason Sudeikis in his “Ted Lasso” role to introduce Justin Bieber.
According to the Daily Express, this year’s World Cup halftime went for 27 minutes, which is 10 minutes longer than it usually lasts. Some may have enjoyed the new vibe, but others felt it was a bit too much production and unnecessary because it made the FIFA World Cup in America a lot like the NFL’s Super Bowl.
The match itself was a tight battle throughout the first half, with Spain seeming to control the ball but unable to score on several great attempts from Mikel Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal. It remained a draw going into halftime at 0-0, but at the end, it was Spain’s Ferran Torres who scored the winning goal at the extra time to give the European side their second championship.
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For more about the World Cup, head over to Newsweek Sports.
