# Robert Smith of The Cure Criticizes FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show

Robert Smith, frontman of the band The Cure, publicly condemned FIFA’s choice of halftime entertainment for the World Cup final, using expletive-laden language. His outburst reflects ongoing criticism of the event’s cultural and political associations, but the statement itself is unlikely to alter the course of the tournament or FIFA’s decisions.

**Importance:** 2/5

## Sources

### Entertainment
- [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/music/news/robert-smith-fifa-world-cup-halftime-show-1236815510/) — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 20:17:10 +0000
- [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/shopping/news/how-to-watch-world-cup-halftime-show-live-online-streaming-1236814990/) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000
- [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/sports/news/tom-cruise-2026-world-cup-final-hollywood-jason-sudeikis-justin-bieber-1236816132/) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 20:16:42 +0000
- [Variety](https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/jon-stewart-world-cup-final-halftime-show-trump-1236817023/) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 04:30:54 +0000

### World
- [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/7/19/world-cup-2026-final-closing-ceremony-and-half-time-show-what-to-know?traffic_source=rss) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:35:52 +0000

### Technology
- [Wired](https://www.wired.com/story/fifa-world-cup-halftime-show-what-to-expect/) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000
- [Wired](https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-watch-the-fifa-2026-world-cup-07-19-2026/) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 09:00:00 +0000

### Sports
- [BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/cddj0m5pzglo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 20:52:06 GMT