Wayne Rooney Slams World Cup Final's 27-Minute Halftime Show

• Former England captain Wayne Rooney gave a scathing verdict on the 2026 World Cup halftime show
• The spectacle reportedly ran almost twice as long as the usual 15-minute halftime interval for games
• Rooney's blunt comment on the show on live television sparked reactions from fans and pundits

Former England captain Wayne Rooney did not hold back his opinion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup final's halftime show.

His blunt verdict, delivered live on air, has since gone viral.

The 2026 World Cup final between Spain and Argentina featured FIFA's first-ever halftime show, curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

The 11-minute performance featured Shakira, Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber and Burna Boy, alongside a cameo from Brazilian football greats Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.

It also included the New York Philharmonic and the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, as well as appearances from the Muppets.

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The show, along with the time needed to set up and clear the stage, stretched the usual 15-minute halftime interval to more than double that at 27 minutes.

Rooney slams World Cup halftime show

Rooney, working as a pundit for the BBC alongside Joe Hart and Micah Richards, did not hide his frustration when presenter Gabby Logan asked the panel for their highlights of the show.

He said his favourite part was when the show finished.

"I like a lot of them artists but I thought it was bad. It just didn't get me going and I wanted the football to come back on."

His co-pundit, Richards, who picked Shakira and Burna Boy as his highlights, called Rooney 'miserable' for his assessment.

Logan responded by joking that the BBC at least offered viewers 'honest reviews'.

The X video showing some of Wayne Rooney's reaction to the World Cup halftime show is shown below.

Reaction on Rooney's World Cup halftime show comments

Reaction to Rooney's comments was mixed, with some agreeing the show was excessive and others accusing him of being a killjoy.

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YEN.com.gh compiled some of the comments from the post.

Elphas K. M. wrote:

"Turning football into Super Bowl nonsense is terrible."

HereticMidas said:

"And this commentary alone about the halftime show was more entertaining than that [expletive] I just watched for more than an hour."

Alex indicated:

"The opinion nobody asked for. Bet this guy drains the joy out of a party."

itsadeniyi commented:

"Wayne Rooney speaking facts, football doesn't need Super Bowl filler. Keep the drama on the pitch where it belongs."

CarmenX added:

"Show should be at the beginning of the match."

Six countries already qualified for 2030 World Cup

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that six countries have already secured automatic qualification for the 2030 World Cup, which will mark the tournament's centenary edition.

Spain, Portugal and Morocco will serve as the hosts, while Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will each stage an opening match in a special celebration marking 100 years.

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FIFA has already approved 23 proposed stadiums across the combined six nations, with the 2030 edition set to become the first World Cup played over three continents.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh