The Cure frontman Robert Smith has made his feelings clear about the upcoming FIFA World Cup final halftime show. His reaction was posted via the band’s official Instagram account.
The post highlighted the lineup for the halftime show. It has been curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin and is set to feature a number of high-profile acts.
“The half-time show, which has been curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, will feature Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and the K-pop boyband BTS,” Smith noted. “Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantosser, has described the half-time show as ‘groundbreaking spectacle’ that will ‘celebrate football, music and our shared values, ensuring a legacy that transcends the final whistle.'”
Smith’s reaction to the announcement was anything but subtle. He offered a sharp and unfiltered response to the news.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH… Bread and circuses, MUGWANK, please just f*ck off,” he added.
Smith is far from impressed with the direction of the event’s entertainment programming. His frustration is shared by others — the halftime show has sparked a broader debate about whether football’s biggest stage should double as a pop spectacle.
The July 19 final at MetLife Stadium will mark the first time in FIFA World Cup history that an official halftime musical performance has taken place. The decision required FIFA to amend the standard Laws of the Game, which limit the halftime interval to 15 minutes. The show is expected to run for considerably longer than that.
The event carries a stated philanthropic purpose. The show is tied to an initiative aimed at raising $100 million for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. The fund is designed to support children globally and provide aid to Venezuela following recent earthquakes. Critics, however, have questioned whether the spectacle serves the sport or simply overshadows it.
Smith’s “bread and circuses” reference — a phrase rooted in Roman-era political satire — suggests he views the show as a distraction engineered to placate audiences rather than celebrate football on its own terms. The sentiment has resonated with a segment of the football community that has long resisted the sport’s drift toward entertainment-industry crossovers.
The full confirmed lineup for the final includes Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, conductor Gustavo Dudamel, and the PS22 Chorus, alongside Coldplay. Shakira, whose World Cup anthem “Dai Dai” recently topped charts, described the event as “pretty historic.” No further comment from Smith or The Cure has been issued at this time.
