Liam Gallagher calls World Cup halftime spectacle a bad trip
The Oasis singer mocked the FIFA final show on X after a star-packed lineup featuring Madonna, BTS, Justin Bieber, Shakira and Burna Boy.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Liam Gallagher gave the World Cup final halftime show a very Liam Gallagher review: he said it was “like a bad trip.”
The Oasis singer posted his verdict on X during Sunday night’s FIFA World Cup final, reacting to a crowded entertainment bill that Rolling Stone reported included Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS, Burna Boy, composer Gustavo Dudamel and the Muppets.
“This is like a bad trip,” Gallagher wrote on X, according to Rolling Stone. In a second post, he added: “It’s a good job I’ve got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge.”
The show opened with Madonna, who delivered two songs at New York New Jersey Stadium, Rolling Stone reported. Her entrance came through the venue’s underground tunnels, where she rode in a golf cart driven by Brazilian football icons Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
According to the report, Madonna performed a new take on “Music,” her 2000 single, along with “Danceteria,” a track from her recent album Confessions II.
BTS then appeared for a brief burst of “Dynamite,” Rolling Stone reported. The halftime production also brought in Jason Sudeikis as his Ted Lasso character, Coach Ted Lasso, with Brendan Hunt alongside him as Coach Beard, for a pep talk aimed at Justin Bieber.
Bieber followed with “Everything Hallelujah,” according to Rolling Stone.
The set kept piling on names. Rolling Stone reported that Shakira and Burna Boy performed “Dai Dai,” while the PS 22 Chorus, made up of fourth and fifth graders from a public elementary school on Staten Island, sang “We Dance,” a song written by Coldplay. Chris Martin joined the children’s choir for the performance.
Gallagher had been posting about the tournament before the halftime show, according to Rolling Stone, especially as England pushed toward the latter stages. The outlet reported that England’s loss on Wednesday set up the final between Argentina and Spain.
Oasis’ “Wonderwall” had become an unofficial anthem for England during the run to the semifinals, Rolling Stone reported, with Gallagher helping hype the song’s connection to the team. Before England’s match against Spain, he posted: “Cmon England cmon Wonderwall.”
The Oasis news cycle is not slowing down either. Rolling Stone reported that the band is set to release Don’t Look Back in Anger, a documentary about the Gallagher brothers’ comeback, in September.
The film was created by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, according to Rolling Stone. It is planned for IMAX and cinema release before streaming later this year on Hulu and Disney+.
This story draws on original reporting from Rolling Stone.