Rod Stewart has come under fire as fans called him out for attending a World Cup match just hours after canceling a scheduled concert in California due to health issues.
The 81-year-old singer shared a video on Instagram on June 13 showing himself traveling to Boston aboard a private jet with his sons, Liam and Alistair.
In the clip, Stewart expressed his excitement about watching Scotland compete, noting that it had been nearly three decades since the team last appeared on the world stage.
“We’re flying off to Boston to see Scotland in the World Cup,” Stewart said in the video, adding that he had attended seven previous tournaments.
The post quickly attracted criticism from fans who questioned how the musician was able to travel across the country after canceling his performance in Chula Vista, California, less than an hour before he was due to take the stage.
Several social media users expressed disappointment, arguing that if Stewart was well enough to fly and attend a sporting event, he should have been able to perform for concertgoers who had purchased tickets and traveled to see him.
Later that day, Stewart was spotted celebrating Scotland’s victory over Haiti from the stands, cheering enthusiastically as fans around him joined in the celebrations.
One day before, Rod Stewart’s team announced that the singer had been diagnosed with an acute upper respiratory infection that resulted in laryngitis, preventing him from performing.