Former England football team captain Wayne Rooney was not pleased with the half-time show at the FIFA World Cup 2026 final between Argentina and Spain. This was the first time where there was a star-studded half-time show during any World Cup final but Rooney was unimpressed with the spectacle featuring huge names like Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber. The former Manchester United striker siad that the show did not entertain him and even delivered a brutal verdict.
“I’ll be honest, mine was when it finished. I like a lot of them artists but I thought it was crap. It just didn’t get me going and I wanted the football to come back on. I like Burna Boy, I like Bieber, I like Shakira, but that was too flat,” he said on BBC.
Rooney’s Manchester United teammate Roy Keane also had his say on the half-time show.
“It was a bit of an anti-climax, but I think the people in the stadium probably enjoyed it more than us,” he said on ITV.
Meanwhile, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni struggled to contain his emotions when asked about his own future and left his post-match news conference in tears after FIFA World Cup final defeat at the hands of Spain.
Scaloni, whose contract expires in December, was bidding to become only the second manager in history to retain the trophy after overseeing Argentina’s 2022 triumph in Qatar. But, Ferran Torres‘ extra-time strike saw Spain lifting the trophy.
“I will talk to the president,” he said. “I have an idea of what I would like to do. I will see out my contract and I feel the need, I don’t know if something as big can be done. We need to speak this through.
“I am thankful to the president for bringing me this chance of being in this place where I am at the moment. It was a dream place for everyone. We have tried up until the very last minute to give our utmost, the staff and players. I believe it’s only fair that I can take this time for myself to think this through.”
(With agency inputs)
