Robert Smith Rips Into FIFA World Cup Halftime Show: "Please Just Fuck Off"
The Cure frontman Robert Smith posted to the band's official Instagram on Wednesday, July 16, 2026, making his contempt for the upcoming FIFA World Cup final halftime show plainly known. The show, curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin, is set for Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with a lineup featuring Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira, and K-pop group BTS — the first-ever halftime show at a World Cup final, modeled on the Super Bowl format.
The post, and a direct shot at FIFA's president
Smith's post quoted FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who had called the halftime show a "groundbreaking spectacle" that would "celebrate football, music and our shared values, creating a legacy that lasts beyond the final whistle." Smith's response was a string of all-caps screaming — "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH..." — followed by three hashtags: #Breadandcircuses, #MUGWANK, and #pleasejustfuckoff. The post was illustrated with NASA's famous "Pale Blue Dot" photo, taken by the Voyager 1 probe in 1990, showing Earth as a tiny speck in the vastness of space.
The moment recalls Smith's now-famous exchange at the 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, when a reporter asked if The Cure were "as excited as I am," and Smith deadpanned, "Doesn't sound like it" — a clip that went viral. In a 2024 podcast interview, Smith admitted he'd felt "a bit bad" about the remark afterward, revealing he hadn't realized the camera was rolling at the time.
Meanwhile: touring, new music, and a duet with Olivia Rodrigo
The Cure are currently touring the UK and Europe. Earlier this week, the band announced that Eden Gallup, son of bassist Simon Gallup, would step in after Simon fell suddenly ill ahead of three Berlin shows. The Cure also recently closed out Poland's Open'er Festival, breaking out a rare live performance of "Treasure," a deep cut from their sixth album, Wild Mood Swings.
Smith revealed last month that The Cure have finished recording a follow-up to 2024's Songs Of A Lost World, alongside a separate, more "pop" and "uptempo" record in the works. He's also collaborated with Olivia Rodrigo on a new track, "What's Wrong With Me," and guested on The Rolling Stones' new album Foreign Tongues, contributing guitar to "Divine Intervention" and synth and backing vocals to "Never Wanna Lose You."