Roy Keane, the former Manchester United captain and current ITV pundit, generated laughter from his colleagues and social media observers with his assessment of the World Cup final's halftime show. Keane described the musical performance as "anti-climactic" but noted that "it's always nice to see Shakira."
The sentiment was shared during the broadcast of the 2026 World Cup final, which saw Spain crowned champions after defeating Argentina in extra time. When asked for his thoughts on the halftime entertainment, Keane, 54, responded, "It was a bit of an anti-climax, but I think the people in the stadium probably enjoyed it more than us. But it’s always nice to see Shakira."
His remark elicited chuckles from fellow ITV pundits Gary Neville and Ian Wright, as well as host Mark Pougatch. Wright echoed Keane's sentiment, stating, "I felt like maybe he should have been a little bit more upbeat and livened us up a bit. It felt a bit down." Neville offered a slightly more positive view, saying, "I quite enjoyed it. Let’s hope the second half picks up and there’s loads of energy."
On social media platform X, users reacted to Keane's comment. One user posted, "Roy Keane happy to see Shakira. Man of taste I see," while another wrote, "Roy Keane spoke for all of us in regards to Shakira. She has still got it." Other comments included "Roy Keane was a big fan of Shakira" and "When Roy Keane approves of Shakira too. Those hips don't lie."
The halftime show featured a lineup of global artists, including Madonna, Justin Bieber, and K-pop group BTS, alongside Shakira who performed her hit "Dai Dai" with Burna Boy. The performance also included appearances by former football stars Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho. Justin Bieber performed a World Cup-themed version of his song "Everything Hallelujah," and the Muppets, notably Animal on the drums, also made an appearance.
Other public figures also shared their opinions on the halftime show. Wayne Rooney described the performance as "c**p," remarking that "the best part was when it ended." He told Gabby Logan, "It just didn't get me going, I wanted the football to be back on. It was a bit flat." Liam Gallagher called the show "like a bad trip," while Sam Thompson expressed frustration on Instagram, suggesting the entertainment was unnecessary for a game of that magnitude. Lorraine Kelly commented on the Muppets' involvement, humorously stating that "all is almost forgiven FIFA - but get on with the footie FFS."