Over the last ten years, the UEFA Champions League final has begun not only with the spectacle of football but also with musical performances. Similar to the Super Bowl halftime tradition, UEFA annually invites a renowned global artist or band to entertain just before the world’s most significant club football match kicks off.
In previous editions, stars such as Alicia Keys, Imagine Dragons, Black Eyed Peas, and Lenny Kravitz have graced the stage. This time, it was Linkin Park’s moment under the spotlight.
Led by founding member Mike Shinoda and vocalist Emily Armstrong — who joined after Chester Bennington’s untimely death in 2017 — the band wowed the Allianz Arena with a powerful four-song medley. Their performance featured “The Emptiness Machine,” “In the End,” “Numb,” and “Heavy Is The Crown.”
Complete with pyrotechnics, moody visuals, and a massive standing ovation, it looked like the nu-metal legends had hit all the right notes with the crowd.
A abertura SENSACIONAL do Linkin Park na #UEFAChampionsLeague.
— VOU DE GRADE (@voudegrade) May 31, 2025
But while Linkin Park tried so hard and got so far, in the end, it still wasn’t enough for Marco van Basten.
The Dutch football legend didn’t hold back in his brutal review of the pre-match show, tellingZiggo Sport: “The Linkin Park performance was garbage — absolutely garbage. It’s a disgrace that UEFA allows this.”
Though he name-checked the band, Van Basten’s frustration was clearly aimed more at the concept than the performers themselves. The former Ballon d’Or winner argued that the spectacle distracts players right before kickoff, at a time when they should be focused and warming up on the pitch.
“I find it absolutely idiotic,” he added, slamming the whole production as “worthless — totally worthless.”
Clearly, for Van Basten, the pre-match show feels like one step closer to ruining the beautiful game.
