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Liam Gallagher Slams World Cup Halftime Show Featuring Madonna, Shakira, and More as “a Bad Trip”

Liam Gallagher was not a fan of the World Cup halftime show. Midway through Spain’s matchup against Argentina, the Oasis singer took to X to slam the star-studded halftime show, which featured performances from the likes of Madonna and Shakira.

“This is like a bad trip,” Gallagher tweeted during the spectacle.

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When one fan insisted that Oasis “would have smashed” the gig, Gallagher replied by writing, “Itโ€™s not about us well it is but still itโ€™s absolutely insane behavior itโ€™s cuckoo with a capital K.”

In another tweet, Gallagher added, “Itโ€™s a good job Iโ€™ve got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge.”

In addition to Madonna and Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel, Chris Martin, the PS22 Chorus, and the Muppets performed during the World Cup’s first-ever halftime show, which lasted nearly 12 minutes.

Curated by the Coldplay frontman, the show began with Madonna singing “Music.” Shakira and Burna Boy’s went on to perform “Dai Dai,” BTS delivered a live version of “Dynamite,” and Bieber gave an acoustic take on “Everything Hallelujah.”

Next, musicians from the New York Philharmonic and the Simรณn Bolรญvar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela performed The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” The show then concluded with the PS22 Chorus, Martin, the Muppets out on the field as fireworks exploded.

After the conclusion of the music, the match picked back up, with Spain defeating Argentina 1-0.

What to Know About the World Cup

The halftime wasn’t the only way music played a part in the World Cup. Ahead of the final match of the tournament, FIFA held the closing ceremony.

During the event, Post Malone, Laura Pausini, Nicole Scherzinger, Robbie Williams, and IShowSpeed all took the stage. Additionally, Jennifer Hudson sang the national anthem and Tom Cruise made a special appearance.

In a press release, FIFA President Gianni Infantino spoke out about the highly-anticipated event.

โ€œWe are thrilled to have so many stars taking to the pitch, from both the football and entertainment worlds,โ€ he said in part. โ€œThe closing ceremony will set the tone for a historic FIFA World Cup final, uniting the passion of 48 teams, 16 host cities and millions of fans on one unforgettable stage.โ€

Photo by CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images