{“skip”: false, “title”: “Spain Beat Argentina in Extra-Time World Cup Final as Trump and Half-Time Show Steal Spotlight”, “content”: “
Spain defeated Argentina to win the World Cup after extra time in a final held at New York New Jersey Stadium, but much of the pre-match and mid-game conversation centred on events off the pitch.
US president Donald Trump, who had not attended a single match prior to the final, made a high-profile arrival at the stadium, arriving in one of three helicopters that flew overhead before landing nearby. He took his seat alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino approximately 20 minutes before kick-off, in time to watch Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger perform in the closing ceremony. He was later seen in the first half being shown the trophy.
Trump’s presence at the tournament had already generated controversy after he admitted to speaking with Infantino to request a review of the red card shown to US striker Folarin Balogun. The suspension was subsequently lifted, allowing Balogun to play in the United States’ last-16 defeat to Belgium. The tournament was co-hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada.
The final also featured an extended half-time interval lasting 27 minutes, which included performances from Madonna, BTS, Coldplay, Shakira — whose song ‘Dai Dai’ is the official World Cup anthem — and Justin Bieber, who performed an acoustic guitar version of ‘Everything Hallelujah’. The show also included an appearance from fictional manager Ted Lasso and his assistant Beard. Reaction to the concert was mixed, with former England striker Wayne Rooney delivering a blunt verdict from the Match of the Day studio. “I thought it was crap,” he said. “I thought the performances were bad. The timings were bad. Just let us play football.”
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Image credit: BBC Sport / BBC Sport
