Chris Martin to Produce World Cup Final Halftime Show, Robert Smith Publicly Tears Into FIFA

The halftime show for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final (Spain vs. Argentina) will be produced by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, with a lineup that includes Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber. FIFA president Gianni Infantino described the show as a "groundbreaking spectacle," saying it would "celebrate football, music and shared values."

Robert Smith's public response

The Cure frontman Robert Smith responded on the band's official Instagram account, renaming Infantino "Infantosser" and reacting to the PR language with a string of "AAAAAAAAAGH," tagged with #Breadandcircuses, #MUDWANK and #pleasejustfuckoff.

Some read Smith's criticism as aimed at Chris Martin or the performers themselves, but Smith clarified: "IT'S GOT NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH WHO IS CURATING IT OR WHO IS PERFORMING — IT'S THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF A HALFTIME SHOW AT THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP FINAL THAT I OBJECT TO," (posted in the original in all caps).

The 'Super Bowl-ification' of halftime shows

According to a report by Far Out Magazine, the tradition of American-style halftime shows dates back to around 1892, originating with a military drill routine performed by the University of Nebraska's military training corps during a football game's halftime break — intended to draw more fans into the stands. Over the 20th century, college marching bands split off from military drills and halftime performances gradually shifted toward pure entertainment.

For this World Cup Final, the usual 15-minute halftime break will be extended to roughly 30 minutes, a move some commentators see as a case of American sports tradition being forced onto an international sporting event.