2026 World Cup, Halftime Show in the Spotlight: Oasis’ Liam Gallagher Slams FIFA

As a soccer fan—as well as one of the sharpest voices in British rock—Liam Gallagher had some no-holds-barred comments about the first-ever halftime show in World Cup final history, which took place Sunday at MetLife Stadium during the Spain vs. Argentina match. Speaking to X, the Oasis frontman called the show a “bad trip” (meaning a negative and distressing experience). “It’s a good thing I’m wearing my spiritual socks (another metaphor for a state of absolute calm), otherwise I would have lost my mind watching that madness on TV.”.

A blunt, ironic, and scathing assessment that went viral around the world in just a few hours. His comment came as Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, Chris Martin, the PS22 choir, and even the Muppets took turns on stage in an eleven-and-a-half-minute segment curated by the Coldplay frontman, which caused the halftime break to last over twenty-seven minutes instead of the fifteen minutes stipulated by the rules.

Madonna opened with “Music,” accompanied by Ronaldo “The Phenomenon” and Ronaldinho, while Shakira and Burna Boy performed “Dai Dai,” the tournament’s official song. BTS performed “Dynamite,” Bieber delivered an acoustic version of “Everything Hallelujah,” and Dudamel conducted a joint New York–Venezuela orchestra as they played “Seven Nation Army.”

The grand finale, with the stage transformed into the word “LOVE” and fireworks, brought to a close a show that marked FIFA’s pop-oriented shift toward the Super Bowl model. A model that, however, did not sit well at all with Liam Gallagher—fresh off Oasis’s return to touring—who once again confirmed his direct, uncompromising style by taking a jab at modern soccer.