The Roots perform World Cup pregame set in Philadelphia

musicJul 4, 202634106

Questlove and The Roots performed a pregame set in Philadelphia for the World Cup round of 16 match Paraguay versus France. The pregame in Philadelphia also featured Idina Menzel singing the national anthem and the Philadelphia Boys Choir performing America the Beautiful as part of a United States 250th anniversary presentation. Some viewers assumed the U.S. would be playing in that broadcast slot and noted the production moved from the stadium to a Parkway concert after The Roots' set. Responses in the crowd and online ranged from praise for The Roots as an excellent musical choice to criticism calling the broader 250th pageantry awkward or jingoistic. A post credited The Roots with subverting part of the show by incorporating the Afro-American Flag and performing "The Fire." Several attendees pointed out The Roots' ongoing profile by noting the band still plays with Jimmy Fallon, which made the booking feel appropriate to some viewers.

Jeffrey Keese

@jeffreykeese.bsky.social

Gotta be honest, talking about equality of man, hearing The Roots perform, and seeing a WC soccer game is a pretty perfect July 4th 250 celebration. Kicks the ass of whatever is happening on the Mall today anyway.

214h ago

DumpTruck 🍑 Decider Alice

@sailormoondamus.gobirds.online

Just let The Roots perform for the entire game…without the weird ass lady Liberty thing

184h ago

🖤♡Amanda♡🖤

@zephyrsky.bsky.social

Oh shit it’s The Roots! This is more like it for Philly

124h ago

Matthew De George

@sportsdoctormd.bsky.social

I'm at The Roots concert. I'm at the World Cup game. I'm at the combination Roots concert/World Cup game

113h ago

James Clay

@lonestarstriker.bsky.social

They got #TheRoots to perform right before the Paraguay 🇵🇾 vs. France 🇫🇷 #FIFAWorldCup round of 16 match.

Laying down the roots.

Philly's very own The Roots sets the stage for a scintillating match-up between France and Paraguay.

73h ago

Quoting this

James Clay4

Halftime: Paraguay 🇵🇾 0 France 🇫🇷 0 Much like the Philly weather, both teams in this #FIFAWorldCup match will reach the "Tipping Point" later on in the second half. I'll see myself out.

James Clay2

"I shall, 'PROCEED', and continue, to rock the next round of the #FIFAWorldCup" - France. Again, I'll see myself. 🇵🇾⚽️🇫🇷

Scott Kennedy

@scotttkennedy.bsky.social

If you can have The Roots before a World Cup game, they should have been doing this the whole time.

34h ago

DapperDadMan

@dapperdadman.bsky.social

The Roots playing for the World Cup has me full mast

34h ago

Franki Butler

@frankitheb.bsky.social

I was opposed to all this 4th of July carrying on at a World Cup game... right up until The Roots showed up. Their city, their field, they can do whatever they want.

33h ago

Jeff Sharon

@thisisjeffsharon.com

So I’m guessing they scheduled all this pomp and circumstance in Philly, on Fox, with Idina Menzel and The Roots, thinking the US would be playing in this slot instead of Paraguay, but then we outperformed the expectations and here we are.

43h ago

Basketball Jones❤️🖤🤍🏀

@shawnjohn.bsky.social

The Roots playing the pregame for World Cup: excellent choice!

33h ago

Daryll B

@daryllbenjamin.bsky.social

I give The Roots credit for pulling a Kendrick and subverting it with the Afro-American Flag and performing The Fire...

23h ago

Jerry Hinnen

@jerryhinnen.bsky.social

the World Cup kinda turns me into the guy who roots for chalk in March like, Australia beating Turkiye was a lot of fun at the time but was it worth watching them instead in *this* match? ehhhhhhhh

2Yesterday