Wayne Rooney slams 2026 World Cup Final halftime show

Wayne Rooney is not convinced by the inaugural World Cup final halftime show.

On July 19, Sunday, the halftime show during the Spain and Argentina match, which included a star-studded lineup of performances by Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and more, as well as a cameo from Jason Sudeikis as his Ted Lasso character, hosts from the BBC shared their reactions. Rooney told Gabby Logan he didn’t enjoy the show.

He emphasised, “I like a lot of those artists, but I thought it was crap. I did, honestly,” he continued with his statement, as Logan awkwardly told viewers, “I’ll tell you what else you get on the BBC: honest reviews.”

When a cohost asked, “What about the ‘Macarena’?” Rooney said the iconic and beloved tune, which had former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and his girlfriend Camille Kostek on their feet, the former soccer player said it “just didn’t get me going.”

Logan joked that it was Bieber who “brought you down” because he was “a bit slow” after Rooney shared his review, which made her three co-hosts chuckle.

The first-ever World Cup halftime show is a major moment for the tournament, which previously did not include a musical performance during the final game. The inaugural show also serves as a charitable effort with profits benefiting the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which aims to expand access to education and sports programs for children in underserved communities around the world.

Once the second half resumed following the halftime performance, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement, “We promised a truly spectacular and unifying FIFA World Cup Halftime Show, and together with Global Citizen, we delivered. My sincere thanks to the hundreds of talented performers, cast, and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life.

There is nothing more important than education, and I am proud that we were able to share this message through an epic show while bringing joy and entertainment to people everywhere.”