Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has joined the chorus of voices criticizing the World Cup’s inaugural halftime show.
The final between Spain and Argentina Sunday was punctuated by a Super Bowl-style medley of performances from the likes of Madonna, The Muppets, BTS, Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso, Justin Bieber and Shakira.
In total, the half-time break lasted 27 minutes and 19 seconds, delaying the restart of the match and leaving many fans fuming.
On X, Gallagher reacted to the spectacle, writing: “This is like a bad trip.”
Responding to a fan who said Oasis would have “smashed” the halftime show, he added: “It’s not about us well it is but still it’s absolutely insane behavior it’s cuckoo with a capital K.”
“It’s a good job I’ve got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge”, he continued in another tweet.
However, he defended pop star Bieber’s acoustic rendition of his song “Everything Hallelujah” after a fan asked: “Who thought Justin Bieber playing some acoustic Hallelujah song was going to slap??”
“ME,” Gallagher replied to the tweet enthusiastically, before adding in another post: “Justin rules.”
His comments follow those of former England soccer star and pundit Wayne Rooney, whose blunt review of the halftime show quickly went viral.
“I thought it was crap,” said Rooney live on the BBC’s broadcast of the final.
“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,” he added.
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 onto the pitch by Brazilian footballing greats Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, before The Muppets and Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel performed a version of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”
The halftime show has created controversy for Fifa, which also added in-game hydration breaks that created extra advertising opportunities, prompting criticism from fans who argued the changes prioritized entertainment and revenue over the sport’s traditions.
Before the match, a string of stars appeared for the tournament’s closing ceremony, including Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, Robbie Williams and Jennifer Hudson.
Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, Italian singer-songwriter Laura Pausini and streamer IShowSpeed also performed before kick-off, along with Post Malone and rapper Swae Lee.
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