Chris Martin has finally done it. As “creative curator” of Fifa’s spectacularly toe-curling half-time show he has ascended to a higher universe of naff. Cheesy, tepid, annoying – Martin’s answer to the Super Bowl half-time somehow squeezed a decade worth of Coldplay albums into 11 maddening minutes.
World Cups are all about going above and beyond in pursuit of greatness so you have to credit Fifa for outdoing itself with the controversial show it had seen fit to crowbar into the 2026 competition. Here was a symphony of crassness, a masterclass in overkill, a reminder why Martin really needs to go back to writing songs rather than trying to be a super-powered Blue Peter presenter bestriding the entirety of the planet.
Talk about scuffing your shot. Even more than the weeks of cynical fake water-breaks or those obligatory mid-game images of Fifa supremo Gianni Infantino in his corporate box, the opening few minutes of the controversial mid-game performance perfectly epitomised everything that has been tasteless and overblown about this latest’s edition of the world’s biggest sporting competition. As support artists Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal – not a single number one between them – trotted off to their dressing rooms, the cameras swooped down the tunnel to where Madonna was waiting, along with her chauffeurs for the evening, Brazil icons Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
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What swing-state voters think about Trump
Donald Trump’s base of supporters was not happy about another war in the Middle East. And nor is Maga happy about higher gas prices (Picture: Kent Nishimura/AFP)
How would you rate Donald Trump’s performance as President out of 10? Last month, I heard how voters in a focus group responded to that question. I doubt you will be shocked by the division, nor the strength of feeling against him.
But given the sheer number of headlines outlining Trump’s falling popularity, you might be surprised by the enduring love still felt for him.
The Trump divide
Pedicab driver Andrew, a white man in his fifties, was clear that the “shameful, unqualified, disastrous” President deserved no more than a zero.
Caption: WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 20: Signs protesting the Iran war and its impact on gas prices are seen during a protest organized by VoteVets outside of the U.S. Capitol on May 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. Democratic lawmakers joined the group to speak out against the Iran war and the need for Congress to pass a war powers resolution to limit President Trump. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 05: People pose with a cardboard standee of Democratic Presidental nominee Kamala Harris as they attend a “Democrats Abroad” election party on November 05, 2024 in London, England. American voters have gone to the polls today to determine the 47th president of the United States. Polling over recent weeks has indicated a tight race between Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump, to succeed President Joe Biden in the White House. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
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But Stephanie, a retired lifelong Republican, scored him a perfect 10. Kim, a veteran, and Kathy, a military mechanic, gave him 10/10, too. Another woman, a Black 44-year-old office worker, held up an eight.
Swing voter eyes Democrats
Sabrina was more held-back, describing herself as a swing voter who was considering backing the Democrat option in the state race.
She wasn’t sure about Trump’s war in Iran (“why can’t we just focus on ourselves,” she asked) but still judged this to be a successful presidency so far.
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Grapevine, Texas. The climax of the three-day conference comes on 18 July, the day after Labour MPs are slated to engage in Andy Burnham’s coronation (Photo: Leandro Lozada/AFP via Getty)
OPINION
4 min read
Inside the minds of US voters
The consequences of this ruling may be felt by Trump indirectly (Photo: Evan Vucci/Reuters)
Swing voter Stephanie
“People just don’t like the way he says things. But somebody had to. They don’t like it. But I don’t care about that. I care about the results.”
Military mechanic Kim
Kim said that what “thrills” her is that Trump is “running this country like it’s a company”.
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 17: The White House is seen from the Washington Monument on May 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump has initiated numerous construction projects on federal government properties in Washington, including demolition of the White House East Wing to build a ballroom and re-painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool blue. (Photo by Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)
Donald Trump is already preparing for a confrontation with Andy Burnham over UK policies (Photo: David Cliff/Getty)
Andrew from the South
Andrew, a Southern gay man, said Trump was “out of touch”, and the US is “not a corporation but a nation”.
The key to the elections
The focus group, set up for Channel 4 News by pollster Public First, was a little more generous to him than a national poll that Public First also carried out for us.
The poll still showed love, with 12 per cent of people saying they’d score the President 10 out of 10.
But 33 per cent opted for zero – and those are people who will be just as motivated to come down against him.
And so the key to the elections will be those in between, whose views are more moderate, and whose minds are less focused on the politics of Washington DC.
These voters, according to the focus group, are primarily concerned with the cost of living and maintaining comfortable lifestyles without picking up second jobs.
So what does all of this mean for the midterms in November?
These elections could not be more critical, not least given how unleashed Trump has been during this second presidency, whether on immigration, tariffs or the Iran war.
Many observers believe this ideological purity has only been possible in Trump 2.0 because this time around, the President has almost total control over the Republican Party, which in turn holds power in Congress.
Analysis
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Analysis
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Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 20: Andy Burnham delivers his inaugural speech as UK’s new Prime Minister on on July 20, 2026 in London, England. The Member of Parliament for Makerfield becomes the UK’s 59th Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister in June. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
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NEWS
Four key takeaways from Burnham’s first speech as PM
After the applause finally stopped, Andy Burnham was able to go ahead with his first speech as Prime Minister.
Addressing reporters outside of No 10 this afternoon, Burnham said politicians “need to be better” after a revolving door of PMs over the past decade and pledged his Government to be a much-needed “circuit breaker”.
‘No 10 in the North’
Burnham is gunning for a new political model, one with a decentralised extension of the PM’s office dubbed “No 10 in the North”.
He said: “In the 1980s, Britain took some wrong turns. Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, large parts of the country de-industrialised and they still haven’t recovered. And that’s why we will change politics.”
King Charles III welcomes Andy Burnham at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the leader of the Labour Party to become Prime Minister (Photo: Aaron Chown/PA Wire)
OPINION
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Cost of living plans to be announced
Burnham also said he will announce proposals to tackle the cost of living crisis tomorrow, before unveiling a 10-year plan later this year.
There were more than 500 mortgage deals on the market at the start of the month for those with just a 5 per cent deposit (Photo: Rosemary Calvert/Getty)
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 20: **embargoed until after Andy Burnham’s Speech in Downing Street. Leader of the Labour Party Andy Burnham chops mushrooms as he helps prepare breakfast during a visit to The Passage Homeless Charity in Victoria on July 20, 2026 in London, England. Later today the Member of Parliament for Makerfield will become the UK’s 59th Prime Minister, succeeding Sir Keir Starmer, who resigned as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister in June. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
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“I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a 10-year plan laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we’re coming from, whatever party we support,” he said.
Ending rough sleeping
Burnham’s first instruction will be to end rough sleeping. He referenced the Covid-era “Everyone In” scheme that brought thousands of rough sleepers across England off the streets.
The pledge follows his mayoral efforts in Manchester where he pledged to donate at least 15 per cent of his salary to his “A Bed Every Night” programme.
More than 3,000 households were sleeping rough last spring (Photo: Victoria Jones/PA)
Caption: Financial struggles beset more than 7 million Britons according to the financial watchdog.
Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty
Building more council homes
Burnham also promised to build more council homes and bolster mental health support. “We will help more young people into work by changing the education system and giving them more support, more mental health support, and we will build more council homes,” he said.
“That is the fair and sustainable way to bring the welfare bill down to meet our fiscal rules and honour our commitments on defence.”
Big Read
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OPINION
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Watch more from The i Paper
Caption: Portrait of a purebred red hair dog laying on the floor next to the sofa at home and looking sad
Photographer: Maria Varaksina
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Source: Moment RF
NEWS
Why the RSPCA is advising a ‘dog lockdown’
Vets and the RSCPA have called for a temporary “dog lockdown” during this summer’s heatwaves to prevent people’s pets from falling seriously ill.
The animal charity has issued a fresh warning over the risks to overheating dogs, and says it can happen at lower temperatures than owners might think.
Organ damage after overheating
The RSPCA has urged that it is safer to skip a walk than to risk overheating.
Amy Wheeler, from CVS Vets in Bristol, told the BBC that she has seen an increase in pets at risk of organ damage after overheating.
Other risks of overheating include:
Blisters on paws from the scorching pavement.
Heatstroke – signs of which include excessive panting, bright red or pale gums, sickness and lethargy.
Brain swelling, disorientation, stumbling, coma, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), causing internal bleeding can also happen in extreme heat.
The breeds most at risk
Certain flat-faced breeds, such as French bulldogs and pugs, are more susceptible to overheating, alongside those that are overweight or elderly, because they cannot pant efficiently.
Dogs can overheat quickly because they rely on panting and sweating through their paw pads to cool down. But this can be difficult when walking along the hot ground or scorching pavement.
Charity Dogs Trust urges owners to be alert to pet behaviour problems as a result of lockdown (Photo: Annegret Hilse/Reuters)
The RSPCA says people can place cool, wet towels on dogs if concerned they are suffering from heat exhaustion. (Photo credit:PA)
‘Concerning temperatures’
A dog’s temperature is meant to be sort of around the 38.5°C to 39°C mark, and some of these dogs are coming in with temperatures of 41°C. That’s really concerning, because that’s when you start seeing organ damage.
Amy Wheeler, from CVS Vets in Bristol
Photographer: Maskot
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How to help your furry friend
The RSPCA recommends refreshing water bowls regularly, closing curtains, turning on fans and putting out a cold damp towel for dogs to lie on.
The charity also advised owners against exercising pets between 8am and 8pm.
Mental stimulation activities – such as frozen toys, snuffle mats or puzzle feeders – can be supplied instead during this time.
Analysis
2 min read
A pop star singing while two of the greatest players of their generation served as glorified hired help was the perfect metaphor for what the World Cup had become under Infantino – and with the blessing of his bestie Donald Trump, watching on from the stands at the New York-New Jersey decider. To be fair to Madonna, her song “Music” was a bopper – as were turns by Shakira and BTS. But the 11-minute performance, curated by Martin and organised by Live Nation (the people to thank for your concert tickets doubling in price in the last 10 years), was nonetheless a grandiose flub – one that spoke perfectly to the soulless spectacle that Fifa seems determined to reduce football to.
Chris Martin with child singers and Muppets during the show (Photo: Fifa)
Among those who had criticised the idea for a half-time show was Robert Smith, Queens Park Rangers supporter and lead singer with The Cure. On Instagram, he had pithily beseeched Fifa to “#pleasejustf**koff”, and it was hard to disagree as this Chris Martin’s rubbish cover version of the Super Bowl show listlessly cranked through the gears.
Smith had described the mini-concert as a bread-and-circus. In fact, it was something worse: a big messy splurge of American razzmatazz catapulted into an event that had no need of imported glitz. Super Bowl half-time shows work because American football is already an over-the-top sport – it is cheesy and ridiculous and, thus, perfect for the sort of Hollywood overkill that Chris Martin saw fit to unleash on World Cup viewers.
Just 11 minutes? It felt longer than the 45 that had preceded it. No sooner had Madonna and her drivers whizzed off than Jim Henson’s Muppets were careening through Jack White’s accidental terrace anthem “Seven Nation Army”. Then came BTS, who at least seemed to understand that their job was to get through their slot while causing the audience as little pain as possible.
Could it get any worse? Hold my giant gold trophy, declared Jason Sudeikis, who “hilariously” reprised his Ted Lasso character to announce Justin Bieber as a substitute, before Shakira and Burna Boy arrived – followed by Chris Martin leading, as only he can, a day-glo choir of happy-looking children and puppets.
As the rare Englishman to step onto the pitch at a World Cup final, the Coldplay captain looked thrilled to be there – but the first half of the actual game (remember that?) was starting to feel as if it had concluded several weeks previously. And that was that – Fifa’s preposterous attempt to bring hype to the World Cup had gone off like so much coloured powder at the end of a fun run. On the BBC, noted music critic Wayne Rooney put it best. “I like a lot of the artists,” he said. “But I thought it was absolute crap.”
After they had finished driving Madonna around this sun-baked corner of industrial-estate New Jersey, top taxi drivers Ronaldinho and Ronaldo might well have agreed – though presumably not Chris Martin, who is on a mission to turn the entire world into one big jolly Coldplay song.