The Cure frontman Robert Smith has made it clear that he is disappointed with FIFA’s decision to include a Super Bowl-style halftime show for the recently concluded FIFA World Cup.
He released two Instagram posts explaining why he thinks football should not follow the American tradition of having entertainment spectacles amid sports events.
The Cure frontman explains why he believes football should never copy the Super Bowl halftime format
In his first post, Smith talked about FIFA’s description of the half-time show, calling it a “groundbreaking spectacle” intended to celebrate football, music, and shared values. He captioned the post with “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH,” appropriately capturing his frustration.
Smith further explained his dislike of the concept and not the performers, writing, “The point is not really about who is curating or performing; it is about the #MUGWANK idea of a football World Cup final halftime show.”
He also added that people who disagreed with the post are missing the whole point and proceeded to take a dig at FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump, who jointly presented the cup to world champions Spain. He wrote, “Sadly, there are not enough A’s left for the ‘ARGH’ that should follow.”
The half-time celebrations were indeed a celebrity-laden, star-spangled affair featuring Madonna, Justin Bieber, Burna Boy, BTS members, Gustavo Dudamel and the PS22 Chorus. Curated by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, the show also saw performances from Sesame Street and The Muppets.
Ahead of the performance, Madonna described participating in the initiative as “deeply meaningful,” saying every child deserves access to quality education. Justin Bieber said he was grateful to be involved in a project that could create educational opportunities for children globally, while Burna Boy called representing Africa at the historic halftime show “a privilege and a responsibility.”
The event supported the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund that aims to provide children access to education and football around the world.
TELL US – DO YOU AGREE WITH ROBERT SMITH’S CRITICISM OF THE WORLD CUP HALFTIME SHOW?
Reported by Sreemanti Sengupta on Reality Tea.
