The Cure’s Robert Smith Blasts FIFA Over Trump Presenting World Cup Trophy

This year's FIFA Men's World Cup took place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and it's been Americanized to an unprecedented extent. No, I'm not talking about Donald Trump's meddling with Folarin Balogun's red card suspension; FIFA was already quite corrupt before our corrupt president got involved. But I am referring to the hydration breaks during each half that somehow became ad breaks. And then there's the halftime show.

Sunday, Spain and defending champs Argentina will square off in the World Cup Final at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. For the first time, the Final will feature an all-star halftime show a la the Super Bowl. Coldplay's Chris Martin curated the show, which features Justin Bieber and Burna Boy in addition to the originally announced Madonna, Shakira, and BTS. If you're upset and/or annoyed by this pageantry, you're not alone.

The Cure's official Instagram account shared the following description of the halftime show today:

The half-time show, which has been curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, will feature Madonna, Justin Bieber, Shakira and the K‑pop boyband BTS. Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantosser, has described the half-time show as “groundbreaking spectacle” that will “celebrate football, music and our shared values, ensuring a legacy that transcends the final whistle.

Along with those words, Cure frontman Robert Smith has offered some concise commentary: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH… #Breadandcircuses #MUGWANK #pleasejustfuckoff." Smith, a lifelong supporter of the English club Queens Park Rangers, is maybe feeling sour after his home nation's collapse in Wednesday's semifinal against Lionel Messi's Argentina, which left his countryman and collaborator Mick Jagger looking dejected.

The World Cup Final is set to kick off Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. Presumably the halftime show will start a little after 4.

UPDATE: In a followup post, Robert Smith clarified his disdain was directed at the idea of World Cup halftime show, and Trump’s involvement in the ceremony. Today FIFA boss Gianni Infantino (who Smith calls “infantosser”) confirmed Trump (“Trumpton”) will present the trophy to the winning team. Here’s what Smith wrote:

sigh… FOR THOSE OF US NOT QUITE GETTING IT: THE POINT IS NOT REALLY ABOUT WHO IS CURATING OR PERFORMING, IT IS ABOUT THE #MUGWANK IDEA OF A FOOTBALL WORLD CUP FINAL HALF TIME SHOW… IF YOU NOW UNDERSTAND MY 'AAAAAAAGH!' A BIT BETTER, BUT STILL DON'T AGREE, PLEASE ADJUST YOUR RED CAP, YOUR 'I
JANNY+ DONNY+ $$$' TSHIRT AND… KNOCK YOURSELF OUT? ONWARDS… RSX PS. ‘Infantosser has said he and US president Trumpton will small hand over trophy on Sunday’. SADLY, THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH A'S LEFT FOR THE 'ARGH' THAT SHOULD FOLLOW… #breadandcircuses #pleasejustfuckoff #fuckfifa #justlookup lostworld

UPDATE 2: On Friday (July 17) evening, Smith returned to X after stepping away from the platform in January 2025, quoting a US election official's rejection of Trump's latest voter fraud claims and boosting a ? reaction to a video from today's Infantino/Trump press conference. Here's what he wrote:

“We heard from officials saying that, because China had this voter data, which almost everybody has, they could change voter registration records, and they could vote on behalf of people. 
That is 100% false,” said David Becker

the executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, who specializes in election administration. “I could have a list of all the students at a particular university. That doesn’t mean I can change their grades. And that’s what’s happening here.”

John Solomon, a Trump ally working with the White House to release the documents, told reporters on Thursday there wasn’t evidence Venezuela had tampered in US elections.

Trump said the Department of Homeland Security had identified 278,000 noncitizens on the rolls in California, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. There are about 40 million registered voters in those four states alone.

Several studies have shown that voter fraud, including voter fraud by noncitizens, is extremely rare.

#MUGWANK

AT THE EDGE…

Smith concluded with his own words alongside a photo of a sea lamprey (vampire fish):

OUR HOMEGROWN GRIFTERS DONT YET HAVE ENOUGH CLOUT TO WARRANT MORE THAN A PASSING PISS - FARAGE, WAXY LEMON, LOWE, SOOTY AND SWEEP ETC ETC - LICKSPITTLE BOTTOM FEEDERS ALL - BUT IF THE REAL FUCKERS KEEP WEARING US DOWN WITHOUT A REAL PUSH BACK… COME ON! X