Wayne Rooney, the Manchester United legend, described the first-ever halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final as "crap." The performance featured artists including Madonna, Justin Bieber, and Shakira, along with appearances by fictional character Ted Lasso and The Muppets.
During a broadcast with BBC Sport, Rooney was asked for his favorite moment of the halftime show while the match between Argentina and Spain was scoreless. He responded, "I’ll be honest, when it finished." When pressed by his fellow panelists, Gabby Logan, Micah Richards, and Joe Hart, Rooney reiterated his sentiment, stating, "I like a lot of them artists, but I thought it was crap. It just didn’t get me going. I like Bieber. I like Shakira. It was too flat."
His blunt assessment drew praise from some social media users, with one X user calling it a "timeless comment" and another commending him for "not being scared to say out loud what the rest of us are saying." Another user referred to him as a "national hero" for the remark.
Rooney is part of the BBC's broadcast team for the World Cup final. The match, which took place at MetLife Stadium, eventually went into extra time, with Spain defeating Argentina 1-0. Argentina played a significant portion of the game with 10 players after Enzo Fernández received a red card in stoppage time of regulation. Spain largely controlled the offensive play, and Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was credited with keeping his team in the game.
