Pop superstar Robbie Williams has hit back at online speculation suggesting he was intoxicated following an on-screen mishap at the World Cup final closing ceremony on Sunday, 19 July 2026. The former Take That singer, 52, caused a stir when a small white object fell from his mouth during a live interview on German TV channel Magenta Sport, which he then picked up and humorously stuck to his forehead.
Williams, who had just performed alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini at the spectacle, later clarified the object was a Nicorette lozenge. In a video shared on Instagram, and subsequently in further comments, he addressed the viral clip directly, stating, "It wouldn't feel right if I appeared on the world stage and absolutely nothing weird happened." He added that the incident was "the most me thing I've ever done."
The singer expressed his amusement at the situation, noting, "Now the internet has another thing it'll be 100 per cent certain happened. 'Remember when Robbie was off his nut at the World Cup?' I wasn't. I'm not. And I haven't been for a very long time." He revealed that after completing his performance, he had proudly declared to Scherzinger and Pausini, "No one died and I didn't cause an international incident. We did it!" only for the interview gaffe to immediately follow.
The World Cup final itself, contested between Argentina and Spain, featured an elaborate 11-minute closing ceremony. The show boasted an array of global talent, including Madonna, Shakira, BTS, Justin Bieber, and even Muppets characters Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. So extensive was the entertainment that FIFA extended the half-time interval from its usual 15 minutes to over 27 minutes to accommodate the full production.
Not everyone was impressed by the extended show, however. Former England international Wayne Rooney, working as a BBC pundit alongside Joe Hart and Micah Richards at the New York New Jersey Stadium, offered a candid review. When asked by presenter Gabby Logan for his highlights of the ceremony, Rooney bluntly stated, "I’ll be honest, mine was when it finished. I like a lot of them artists but I thought it was crap."