The Cure’s Robert Smith has criticised the planned World Cup final half-time show, mocking FIFA president Gianni Infantino as “Gianni Infantosser” in an Instagram post. His response highlights opposition from some musicians to FIFA’s decision to add an American-style entertainment spectacle to football’s most prominent match.

The show, scheduled for 19 July, is described as the first of its kind at a World Cup final and is expected to run for 20 to 25 minutes, beyond football’s usual maximum 15-minute half-time interval. Curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, it is set to feature BTS, Madonna, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus; Smith accompanied his criticism with hostile hashtags and NASA’s ‘Pale Blue Dot’ image. Noel Gallagher has also said he does not intend to watch the performance, although he has tickets for the match.