Louis Tomlinson sparked controversy by watching the England vs. Mexico World Cup match on stage during his concert at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 5, 2026. The match, a Round 16 knockout fixture that England won, aired at 2am UK time but was scheduled for 7pm local time in the US, coinciding with Tomlinson's performance as part of his How Did We Get Here world tour.
Instead of missing the game, the 34-year-old singer from Doncaster, a lifelong football fan and supporter of Doncaster Rovers FC and the England National Team, turned his concert into a live watch party. He streamed the match on a small screen while performing and projected it onto a wall so fans could watch.
Fan backlash and viral criticism
Not everyone was impressed. One X user posted a photo of Tomlinson celebrating an England goal on stage, captioning it: "Me watching my $200 (£150) watch the World Cup on stage." Another wrote: "If I were at a concert and the singer was watching football while their band was doing all the work, I would be p****d off." The tweet went viral, amassing 1.1 million views.
Comments included: "What the f**k," "I’m sorry... but that is so disrespectful to fans and lacks professionalism," and "The bare minimum is pretending the thing everyone paid for is happening." Another asked: "Why would he do this?"
Defenders speak up
Despite the backlash, many fans defended Tomlinson. One attendee wrote: "Since so many people who weren't at the show have an opinion on the World Cup being on screen, here's Louis thanking us. The game being on was not a distraction to him or the fans at all, and he put on a world class show." Another said: "Safe to say this was the funniest and most interactive concert I've ever experienced and the World Cup made it 10x better." A third added: "I think this is hilarious. Anyone complaining doesn't know Louis."
Some compared the incident to Harry Styles watching an England match before his Wembley gig, but one critic noted: "There is a difference between watching the game before your concert and during your concert." Another asked: "Couldn't he just reschedule or watch afterwards?" A supporter countered: "Rescheduling a whole show would be disrespectful, this is just fun."
Future matches and tour conflicts
England's next World Cup match is against Norway in the Quarter-finals on July 11 at 10pm BST (5pm local time). Tomlinson is scheduled to perform at the Skyline Stage at Highmark Mann in Philadelphia at 7pm EDT that day, which is one hour ahead of ET. This means he will only be able to catch the first half before taking the stage. Representatives for Louis Tomlinson have been contacted for comment.
