Wayne Rooney has been tipped to commentate on the next Eurovision Song Contest after delivering a brutally honest verdict on the World Cup final's first-ever halftime show. The former England captain, working as a BBC pundit alongside Joe Hart and Micah Richards, was asked by presenter Gabby Logan for his highlight of the 11-minute performance during Spain and Argentina's clash in New Jersey.
'I'll be honest, mine was when it finished,' Rooney said, drawing nervous looks from his colleagues. 'I like a lot of them artists but I thought it was crap. 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.'
Social media calls for Eurovision role
Viewers praised Rooney's honesty on social media, with political candidate Count Binface calling for him to land a role at Eurovision. Posting on X, Count Binface wrote: 'Wayne Rooney to be new BBC commentator for Eurovision. #VoteBinface'. User Rosie replied 'get it in the manifesto', while Ron questioned: 'Omg… can you imagine?' Ian argued that Rooney's comments were the 'best bit of the entire programme'.
Micah Richards, visibly stunned by Rooney's remarks and describing him as 'miserable', had previously praised Shakira and Burna Boy's performance. Laughing at the exchanges, Gabby Logan said: 'I'll tell you what else you get on the BBC: honest reviews.'
Extended halftime show featured stars and Muppets
The halftime show, curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, was extended from the traditional 15-minute break to more than 27 minutes for the first time. It featured performances by Robbie Williams, Justin Bieber, BTS, Shakira, and Burna Boy. Madonna was driven onto the pitch by Brazil legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, while characters from The Muppets and Sesame Street made surprise appearances. Actors Tom Cruise and Timothée Chalamet also featured before kick-off.
The format proved divisive among fans, as halftime entertainment is a staple of major US sporting events like the Super Bowl. On ITV, Roy Keane called the show 'a bit of an anti-climax' but added: 'It's always nice to see Shakira.'
Show supported education fund
The performance supported the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, aiming to raise $100 million (£75 million) to improve access to education and football for children worldwide. An average of over 12 million viewers watched the World Cup final in the UK, with 9.7 million on BBC One and 2.4 million on ITV1, according to broadcast data.
