Wayne Rooney delivers brutal verdict on first World Cup final half-time show
The 11-minute spectacle featured performances from artists including Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber.
Former England forward Wayne Rooney branded the first World Cup final half-time show “crap”.
Fifa extended the interval of the match between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey to allow for an 11-minute spectacle featuring performances from artists including Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber.
The show resulted in the customary 15-minute half-time break lasting more than 27 minutes.
Rooney, who was at the MetLife Stadium working as a BBC pundit alongside Joe Hart and Micah Richards, was not impressed.
After the trio were asked for their highlights of the show by presenter Gabby Logan, the 40-year-old replied: “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.”
Richards, who picked the performances of Colombian pop star Shakira and Nigerian singer Burna Boy as his highlights, called former international team-mate Rooney “miserable” for his frank assessment.
With the conversation following an advert promoting the BBC, Logan added: “I’ll tell you what else you get on the BBC: honest reviews”.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino announced plans for the show – which was curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin – in March last year.
It included Madonna being driven on to the pitch by Brazil greats Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, while South Korean boyband BTS also performed.