Wayne Rooney makes clear his feelings about the World Cup half-time show
Wayne Rooney was furious (Image: BBC Sport)
Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney has condemned the World Cup final half-time show as “rubbish” in a brutally honest verdict. The opening 45 minutes between Argentina and Spain ended 0-0, with the European champions the better of the two teams at the break before the star-studded cast took to the pitch.
The World Cup final has already attracted a lot of attention, with kick-off delayed by six minutes during the pre-match show. Donald Trump’s appearance at MetLife Stadium caused a significant delay in fans and media members entering the stadium due to increased security.
Spain were the more aggressive of the two teams, with Argentina not registering a single shot in the first 45 minutes, but Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal were on target for the European champions.
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When the halftime whistle blew, the players immediately left the field, and it took a long 27 minutes and 18 seconds for them to return after the halftime show.
According to the rules of the International Football Association Board, the half-time break must not exceed 15 minutes, and that interval is against the rules.
Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira, Gustavo Dudamel and BTS all performed at the halftime show, which was directed by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. However, Rooney was not impressed.
Rooney told the BBC: “To be honest, my[highlight]was when it finished. I like a lot of those artists, but I thought it was crap.”
“Honestly, I did. It didn’t motivate me. I want to get back to playing football. I like Burna Boy, I like Bieber, I like Shakira. It was flat.”
Micah Richards, who highlighted the performances of Shakira and Burna Boy, gave a frank assessment of former international teammate Rooney, calling him “disastrous”.
In a conversation after an advert promoting the BBC, presenter Gabby Logan added: “I’ll tell you what else you get with the BBC, and that’s honest reviews.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced plans for the show, which will be overseen by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, in March last year.
Fans were shocked to see Madonna arrive at the stadium in a buggy, with Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho driving a cart.
One fan said: “I never thought I’d see Madonna, Ronaldo the Phenomenon and Ronaldinho Gaucho together.”
“No one could have imagined that Madonna’s car would have Ronaldo and Ronaldinho Gaucho in it,” he said.
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