Wayne Rooney condemns World Cup final halftime show and Argentina's behavior

Former England striker Wayne Rooney criticised the 27‑minute halftime entertainment at the World Cup final, calling it "poor" and "a piece of crap" despite admitting he liked the artists involved. He said the show, which featured Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS and others, was a waste of time and did not belong in football.

Rooney also harshly judged Argentina’s conduct after their 1‑0 loss to Spain, insisting the team “got what they deserved”. He highlighted the red cards shown to Enzo Fernández, Leandro Paredes and other players, describing the Argentine side’s behaviour as “disgusting”.

In addition, Rooney questioned the fairness of including third‑place match goals in the Golden Boot race, arguing it disadvantaged Lionel Messi, who missed out on the award after Kylian Mbappé’s goals in the consolation game. His comments were repeated across several media outlets in the days following the final.