Robert Smith has made it very clear he’s not buying into FIFA’s first‑ever World Cup final halftime show.
The Cure frontman reacted online after the organisation unveiled its blockbuster music lineup – a Chris Martin‑curated spectacle featuring the likes of Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and BTS at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19 – and his response was nothing short of feral.
Naming FIFA president Gianni Infantosser directly, he disagreed that the halftime show will “celebrate football, music and our shared values, ensuring a legacy that transcends the final whistle.”
He posted on Instagram alongside a picture of NASA’s Pale Blue Dot photograph from 1990: “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.
“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’.”
Screaming in disgust, he added: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH… #Breadandcircuses #MUGW*** #pleasejustf***off. (sic)”
He’s not the only rock icon unimpressed by the sudden Super Bowl‑ification of the beautiful game. Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher has also taken aim at the idea, insisting football has been “functioning perfectly for hundreds of years” without a pop‑star intermission.
The Britpop legend – a die‑hard Manchester City fan – told talkSPORT he won’t be anywhere near the spectacle.
He joked: “I’m doing the half‑time raffle for a leg of lamb.”
Noel doubled down, saying he dislikes the “razzmatazz” being bolted onto the sport. He argued the artists involved aren’t “football people” and questioned why the game needs a musical sideshow at all.
During England’s World Cup stint, the players and fans emotionally belted out Wonderwall, which was adopted as the unofficial World Cup anthem.