World Cup 2026 Halftime Show Slammed By BBC Pundit Wayne Rooney

When the BBC booked Wayne Rooney as part of their coverage of the 2026 World Cup final, they probably didn’t realise they were getting an impromptu showbiz correspondent, as well as a football pundit.

However, on Sunday night, the former England captain summed up what many viewers were thinking when it came to the tournament’s first ever halftime show performance.

During the live final, Fifa assembled a team of some of the biggest global musicians in the world to perform during halftime.

Things got off to a promising start with a classic hit from Madonna and a cameo from The Muppets, but in the end, many were left unimpressed with the way the rest of the show was put together.

Among them was Rooney, who pulled no punches when asked for his take on the performance moments afterwards, live on the BBC.

Despite his fellow pundits’ positive reviews, Rooney said simply: “I thought the best part was when it finished. I like a lot of them artists, but I thought it was crap.”

“I did, honestly,” as his fellow presenters did little to hide their shock at his assessment.

Still, many viewers watching the BBC’s broadcast said that Rooney’s take on the show was definitely meme-worthy, and one of the stand-out moments of the night…

It can’t just be us who suddenly wants a debrief from Wayne Rooney after every music awards show, right…?

The World Cup’s first ever Halftime Show also saw Ted Lasso himself introducing an acoustic ballad from Justin Bieber, Shakira bringing her World Cup anthem Dai Dai to life and a finale that included a children’s choir, a reunion between Sesame Street and The Muppets and co-organiser Chris Martin bringing back all of the performers onto the pitch (apart from Madonna, seemingly, who we’re guessing was already halfway home by that point).