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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.
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