Rod Stewart Admits World Cup Attendance Was 'Not a Good Look'

The 81-year-old musician canceled his June 12 show at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheater and a subsequent performance in Colorado under strict medical orders for laryngitis. While fans were left outside the San Diego venue, Stewart was spotted on social media boarding a private jet to watch Scotland play Haiti. He later told Talk Sport that while the optics were poor, his decision was driven by a long-standing commitment to his children, Liam and Alastair, to experience their first World Cup together.

His return to the stage proved equally precarious. During a June 20 performance in Utah, Stewart struggled to breathe and required an onstage intervention with an oxygen tank. Despite the visible physical toll, he insisted on finishing the set, even resorting to sitting on the venue stairs to manage his exhaustion. The incident prompted renewed concern from followers, some of whom drew uncomfortable parallels between his struggle and a 1999 South Park episode that satirically depicted the singer suffering a health crisis during a performance.