Fans rip Madonna, Bieber, BTS and Shakira World Cup halftime: ‘Look how they massacred my beautiful game’

Key Points:

• The first-ever halftime show at a FIFA World Cup final featured a diverse lineup including Madonna, BTS, The Muppets, Justin Bieber, Shakira, Burna Boy, and Coldplay, lasting 27 minutes and 19 seconds, which significantly exceeded the 15-minute halftime limit set by IFAB.
• The extended halftime caused delays in the Argentina vs. Spain match and sparked widespread criticism from fans and former players, who argued it disrupted the flow of the game and players' routines during a crucial match.
• Some viewers praised the halftime show as an impressive spectacle, comparing it favorably to Super Bowl halftime performances, while others used humor and memes to express their disappointment or poke fun at players.
• Former players and commentators had mixed reactions, with Wayne Rooney calling the show "crap," Gary Neville enjoying it, and Roy Keane describing it as an "anti-climax" but appreciating Shakira's presence.
• The halftime show controversy adds to ongoing criticism of FIFA's changes to the tournament structure, including hydration breaks, which some see as altering the traditional flow of football matches.