'Shock': BTS stage, "Truly terrible," Rooney delivers scathing remarks on World Cup halftime show: "It was best when the show ended"

*This content was translated by AI.

English football legend Wayne Rooney (41) directly criticized the World Cup final halftime show, calling it "terrible."

The UK's 'The Sun' reported on the 20th (Korean time) that "Rooney delivered a brutal assessment of the halftime show during a BBC live broadcast."

Spain drew 0-0 with Argentina over 90 minutes in the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup final held at New York-New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, U.S., on this day. In the first minute of extra time, Feran Torres scored the winning goal, securing a 1-0 victory. With this win, Spain lifted its second World Cup title for the first time since the 2010 South Africa tournament, 16 years later.

Global pop stars including BTS (BTS), Justin Bieber, and Shakira appeared at the final match on this day, presenting the first-ever halftime show in World Cup history. However, Rooney, a former captain of the England national team, reacted coldly.

During the BBC broadcast, when asked about "the best moment of the halftime show," Rooney honestly replied, "Honestly, when the show ended." He added, "While I like many of the artists who performed on stage, the show itself was terrible."

The media reported that "Rooney's sharp remarks turned the studio into a sea of laughter. Fellow panelists including host Gabby Logan and Micah Richards, along with Joe Hart, could not hold back their laughter during the live broadcast."

Fans also went wild over Rooney's unfiltered remarks. Through social media (SNS), fans praised him, saying, "He is a hero," "He said what we wanted to say to the world," and "He should be knighted for telling the truth."

One fan commented, "He speaks his mind without pretense and understands modern football well. He is the best commentator of this tournament and a treasure of England."

Meanwhile, the halftime show was introduced for the first time in the World Cup final using the format of the NFL Super Bowl. It is reported to have been jointly planned by FIFA and Global Citizen.

First, Madonna appeared alongside Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho while singing her hit song 'Music'. Then, BTS performed 'Dynamite' dressed in red and black outfits. Justin Bieber presented a stage for 'Everything Hallelujah', and Shakira led the crowd's cheers with the World Cup official theme song 'Tik Tok' alongside Burna Boy. Finally, the 11th-minute halftime show concluded with the word 'Love' projected across the entire stadium.

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*This content was translated by AI.