This year’s World Cup was not short of criticism. Millions of viewers were enraged over extortionate ticket pricing, political interference and rumors of widespread corruption that put a real downer on what is normally a jubilant, unifying global sporting event.
After the not-too-well-received addition of “hydration breaks” (cough, ad breaks, cough), controversially splitting every soccer match into four quarters as opposed to its regular two halves, you can imagine how the news of a Super Bowl-esque halftime show was received by international soccer fans.
These spectators are not so used to their favorite sport coming with a side of flashy dance numbers, body-popping boy bands and extravagant set pieces. Why are Carlos Alcaraz and Hoyeon on the pitch opening a Louis Vuitton case to reveal the World Cup trophy? A screenshot of that exact moment accrued over 120,000 likes on X, with the comment: “Sincerely one of the most gauche and disgusting things I’ve seen in a minute.” FIFA boss Gianni Infantino is no stranger to accusations of soul-sucking greed, but the garishness of the Spain vs Argentina final — from which the Europeans would emerge triumphant — felt, to some of its one billion projected viewers, like a new low.
