Wayne Rooney has savaged the 2026 World Cup final halftime show as he described the controversial performance as ‘c**p’ and said the ‘best part was when it ended’ live on BBC Sport.
The former England captain, 41, led an army of British fans and celebrities ripping into the show, which aimed to deliver a mix of music, nostalgia and global star power.
Spain went on to be crowned the 2026 World Cup champions, after Ferran Torres scored the winning goal against Argentina during extra time.
The likes of Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and the Muppets all performed under one roof at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night.
Celebrities were left divided over FIFA’s decision to add a halftime show to the biggest game in global football.
Wayne joked his favourite part of the show was ‘when it finished’ as he and Gaby Logan discussed the bizarre line-up of musicians.
‘To be honest, mine was when it finished I like a lot of those artists but to be honest I thought it was c**p’, he fumed.
‘I did honestly. It just didn’t get me going, I wanted the football to be back on. It was a bit flat. I like Burna Boy I like Shakira I like Bieber but that was too flat.’
Wayne Rooney has savaged the 2026 World Cup final halftime show as he described the performance as ‘c**p’ and said the ‘best part was when it ended’ live on BBC
The show delivered a spectacular mix of music, nostalgia and global star power, with the likes of Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and the Muppets all performing under one roof
Spain were crowned the 2026 World Cup champions, after Ferran Torres scored the winning goal against Argentina during extra time
Meanwhile Liam Gallagher savaged ‘This is like a bad trip’, before adding: ‘It’s a good job I’ve got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge’.
Elsewhere, Sam Thompson shared his frustration on Instagram, writing: ‘Half time show… absolutely the last thing a football game of this magnitude needed. No one’s in the right headspace now, not even the fans.
‘Imagine the players watching Sesame Street whilst cramping up and needing to warm up again’.
Roy Keane was also underwhelmed as he said: ‘It was a bit of an anti-climax, but listen, it’s so nice to see Shakira.’
Even Lorraine Kelly had something to say about The Muppets guest appearance as she penned: ‘Just seen ANIMAL on the drums during half-time – all is almost forgiven FIFA – but get on with the footie FFS’.
The futuristic segment began with Madonna, 67, singing Music, accompanied by giddy World Cup legends Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho.
The toned music legend showed off her legs in stockings as she embraced the soccer icons, before they drove her out into the stadium, and held hands.
Justin Bieber, 32, made a starkly different impact on the crowd as he stepped out with nothing but a guitar to sing a World Cup themed version of his song, Everything Hallelujah.
The star looked relaxed as he casually walked onto the pitch before belting out his hit track, adding the final line, ‘it’s the World Cup, Hallelujah.’
Shakira returned to the World Cup stage as she flaunted her toned abs in a pink and yellow sequined bodysuit to perform her hit Dai Dai, with Burna Boy, while K-pop sensations BTS regaled the crowd with Dynamite.
Wayne, 41, joked his favourite part of the show was ‘when it finished’ as he and Gaby Logan discussed the bizarre line-up of musicians
Liam Gallagher savaged ‘This is like a bad trip’, before adding: ‘It’s a good job I’ve got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge’
Elsewhere, Sam Thompson shared his frustration on Instagram, writing: ‘Half time show… absolutely the last thing a football game of this magnitude needed’
Lorraine Kelly had something to say about The Muppets guest appearance as she penned: ‘Just seen ANIMAL on the drums during half-time – all is almost forgiven FIFA – but get on with the footie FFS’
Madonna stormed the stage as she headlined the controversial first-ever FIFA halftime show during the 2026 World Cup Final on Sunday
Justin Bieber made a starkly different impact on the crowd as he stepped out with nothing but a guitar to sing a World Cup themed version of his song Hallelujah
Shakira showed off her toned frame as she performed Dai Dai with Burna Boy
The futuristic segment began with Madonna, 67, singing Music, accompanied by giddy World Cup legends Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho
K-pop sensations BTS regaled the crowd with Dynamite
Timothee Chamalet and Kylie Jenner made a loved-up appearance
Tom Cruise flashed a giddy grin as he sauntered through the stadium ahead of his special appearance at the closing ceremony
Mick Jagger (L) and the Beckhams, who have followed the World Cup around the states, were among the British stars watching the final
Sir David Beckham was supported by his wife Victoria as the couple watched the final match
Romeo and Cruz Beckham were joined by their girlfriends Kim Turnbull (R) and Jackie Apostel (L) as they arrived at the World Cup final on Sunday
Dua Lipa was joined by her husband Callum Turner
Anya Taylor-Joy, 30, brought the glamour to the match as she arrived wearing a chic white dress alongside her husband Malcolm McRae
As well as a halftime show, the World Cup final also included a closing ceremony that featured performances and appearances from Post Malone, Cruise, Nicole Scherzinger, influencer IShowSpeed, Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, Robbie Williams and Italian singer Laura Pausini.
Stars including Tom Cruise, Timothee Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Matt Damon and Adrien Brody joined the crowds for the final.
Spanish actor Javier Bardem, skiing legend Lindsey Vonn and actress Julia Garner were also in attendance for the FIFA Gold Carpet event ahead of the final.
World Cup final day got off to a chaotic start at MetLife Stadium with fans forced to wait for hours outside of the venue amid reports of technological glitches scanning tickets and security staff unsure of how to manage the crowds.
Organizers this week urged fans lucky enough to have a ticket to arrive up to four hours before the start of the game at the 80,000-seater stadium in New Jersey, a short drive outside of Manhattan, for Sunday’s showdown between Spain and Argentina.
As the build-up to the game expected to be watched by billions around the world ramped up, fans were waiting for over four hours to have their tickets scanned in order to enter the stadium for the showpiece game.
The attendance of President Donald Trump meant that airport-style security measures were also being enforced for everyone making their way inside of the venue.
But the delays were compounded amid reports of glitches in FIFA’s ticket-scanning system, meaning those who were fortunate enough to be at the front of the long lines still faced frustrating delays.
The Daily Mail also witnessed tensions simmering between fans, media members and security staff, with officials on the ground telling anyone who complained: ‘Take it up with FIFA’.
Will Ferrell was in attendance for the huge match
Javier Bardem was supporting his home country as he attended the FIFA Gold Carpet before the final
Julia Garner was in attendance to support close pal Madonna ahead of her halftime show
Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario attended with wife Celina Locks
England icon John Terry and Argentina legend Diego Simeone were in attendance
Post Malone performed ahead of the final
Jon Hamm arrived at MetLife ahead of the ceremony
Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini performed Desire
Robbie made a quick outfit change to watch the match with his glamorous wife Ayda Field
Coldplay’s Chris Martin took it all in as he prepared for his halftime performance
Extra security checks were in place ahead of the attendance of President Trump for the game
The game is set to be the most expensive to attend in the history of sport – on Sunday morning, the cheapest ticket available on most resale websites was starting at around $7,000.
FIFA encouraged fans to arrive early in order to participate in the World Cup closing ceremony, scheduled to begin around 90 minutes before the game itself kicks off.
But it is standard procedure for fans to arrive early for additional security checks whenever Trump attends a sporting event – and he has made it to plenty in his second term as President, ranging from the Ryder Cup to the Super Bowl.
Even on the live television coverage, the stadium was bare with a little over an hour until that closing ceremony began.
Soccer greats such as Brazil World Cup winner Ronaldo, former England captain John Terry and former Argentina player Diego Simeone all appeared carefree as they entered the stadium in good time before the game.
There were plenty of fans who were determined not to let the chaos ruin their day, too. Thousands of Argentina fans have made the journey to the stadium for what will likely be star man Lionel Messi’s last ever appearance in a World Cup at the age of 39.
Argentina are narrow underdogs against Spain, the European champions, despite being the holders after winning the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Trump is expected to hand the World Cup trophy over to the winning team after the game.
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