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Coldplay’s Chris Martin curates divisive World Cup final halftime show
Developed over time first seen 4 months ago
Liam Gallagher reacted with bemusement to the first-ever World Cup halftime show, held on 19 July 2026 after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final, describing the spectacle as "cuckoo with a capital K" and "like a bad trip" in a series of posts on Twitter. The Oasis frontman's live commentary fed into a broader mixed reaction to the show, which marked a departure for football's biggest occasion by importing a Super Bowl-style entertainment segment featuring a heavyweight pop line-up, and drew a sharper putdown from pundit Wayne Rooney, who called the whole segment "crap".
The show was curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin and featured performances from Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and Burna Boy, alongside appearances from The Muppets, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Gallagher singled out Justin Bieber's stripped-back rendition of "Everything Hallelujah" for praise, tweeting "Justin rules", before closing the night by congratulating Spain on their win. Rooney said he "liked a lot of them artists" individually but found the show "too flat" and wanted the football back, while The Cure's Robert Smith had already voiced dread beforehand, and Gallagher had earlier said he was "ready" for a potential Wonderwall singalong had England reached the final.
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In short
- Gallagher branded football's first World Cup halftime show "cuckoo" and "a bad trip"
- Chris Martin curated the show with Madonna, BTS, Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy
- Wayne Rooney also panned it as "crap"; Spain beat Argentina 1-0
How this story developed
- 4 months ago Further detail emerged on the reaction, clarifying that Rooney delivered his "crap" and "too flat" verdict on air while praising the individual artists involved, and that Robert Smith's earlier unease had been expressed specifically on Instagram.
- 4 months ago Liam Gallagher mocked the first-ever World Cup halftime show as "cuckoo with a capital K" and "like a bad trip" on Twitter after Spain's 1-0 win over Argentina on 19 July 2026, praising Justin Bieber amid a mixed reaction that also saw Wayne Rooney dismiss the Chris Martin-curated segment as "crap".
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of the entertainment-focused World Cup argue that major global sporting events now benefit from world-class production and cultural moments that engage billions of viewers across diverse interests. A halftime show featuring global superstars creates a shared cultural spectacle, showcases international talent on sport's biggest stage, and reflects contemporary standards for flagship events. This approach broadens the tournament's appeal beyond hardcore football enthusiasts without diminishing the competition itself, potentially growing the sport's audience and relevance in an increasingly crowded entertainment landscape.
The case against
Critics contend that the World Cup is fundamentally a football competition whose identity and appeal rest on athletic excellence and sport-centred tradition. Importing Super Bowl-style entertainment risks diluting what distinguishes the tournament and shifts focus from why supporters attend—to watch elite football—toward commercial spectacle and imported American entertainment values. The World Cup has thrived for decades without elaborate halftime shows, and those who object argue this change prioritises the interests of entertainment executives and commercial partners over the event's sporting integrity and cultural authenticity.
Explained simply
Liam Gallagher's bemused tweets about the 2026 World Cup final are the latest twist in a story about football trying something new. For the first time, FIFA added a Super Bowl-style halftime show to the World Cup final, bringing a big-name concert into the middle of the sport's most-watched match. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin was put in charge of pulling the show together.
The final itself saw Spain beat Argentina 1-0 on 19 July 2026. During the break, Martin's line-up brought out Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and Burna Boy, alongside lighter touches like The Muppets and footballing legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. It was a deliberate departure from the usual low-key World Cup interval, modelled on the spectacle American audiences are used to seeing at the Super Bowl.
The idea has divided opinion. Musicians and former players who watched, including Oasis's Liam Gallagher, Wayne Rooney and The Cure's Robert Smith, have all weighed in publicly, some mocking the show and others picking out moments they liked. That mixed reaction matters because it raises the question of whether football's biggest night needs, or wants, this kind of entertainment add-on going forward.
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Originally published by NME as “Liam Gallagher compares “cuckoo” World Cup halftime show to “a bad trip””.