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The Cure’s Robert Smith is not looking forward to Chris Martin’s World Cup halftime show
The Cure frontman Robert Smith has criticised the forthcoming FIFA World Cup final halftime show, curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, in a blunt Instagram post. His response targets FIFA’s promotion of the event as a “groundbreaking spectacle”, suggesting he sees it as empty commercial spectacle; the post matters because it is a high-profile musician publicly challenging FIFA’s framing of a major new World Cup feature.
The show is due to take place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July and is expected to include Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and BTS. It will be the first official halftime performance at a World Cup final, modelled on the Super Bowl, and FIFA says it will support its Global Citizen Education Fund; Smith’s post also used NASA’s ‘Pale Blue Dot’ image and referenced his previous deadpan public remarks.
In short
- Robert Smith dismissed FIFA’s planned World Cup final halftime show.
- Chris Martin is curating performers including Madonna, Shakira and BTS.
- FIFA says the new show will support education and football access.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A World Cup final is a rare global platform, and a carefully produced halftime show could add a shared cultural event for viewers while showcasing performers from different backgrounds. If it also raises money and attention for education, the spectacle may serve a worthwhile purpose beyond entertainment.
The case against
Making a halftime show a centrepiece of the final risks shifting attention from the sport towards celebrity and commercial promotion. Critics may also question whether FIFA’s language of novelty and charitable purpose disguises a largely promotional event, especially if the education fund’s impact is not clear.
Explained simply
The FIFA World Cup final will feature an official halftime performance for the first time in the tournament's history. Scheduled for MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July, the show is modelled on the Super Bowl and will feature artists including Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and BTS.
Chris Martin of Coldplay is curating the event, which FIFA has promoted as a groundbreaking spectacle designed to support its Global Citizen Education Fund. This represents a significant expansion in how the World Cup final is produced, bringing the scale of entertainment typically found in American sporting events to international football's flagship occasion.
The introduction of a formal halftime show has prompted discussion about the role of entertainment in major sporting events. The venture represents a notable shift in World Cup tradition and has captured attention across both music and sports communities.