The 2018 World Cup kicked off last night with a remarkable opening ceremony at Russia's Luzhniki Stadium, however it was also marred by a controversial salute from popular artist Robbie Williams.
The talented performer produced an almost faultless 15-minute performance including some of his best hits including 'Let me entertain you' and 'Angels'
However, it was during his performance of 'Rock DJ' that the British musician shocked the crowd and millions of TV viewers when he changed the lyrics of the song to "but I did this for free.'
And it didn't end there either...
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Williams also held up his middle finger in a strange, yet remarkable act mid-show in front of the camera.
Check it out below:
"I did this for free"...@robbiewilliams #Rusia2018 #RUSIAxESPN pic.twitter.com/9f19I0ofi4
— Sergio Dipp (@SergioADippW) June 14, 2018
Despite his antics, the Russian crowd were thrilled by Williams' performance.
The 44-year-old was part of a glittering opening ceremony which featured over 800 people performing in front of a Russian dominated crowd.
President and crowd-favourite Vladimir Putin also made an appearance with a typical Putin-esque speech which featured references to his country's diplomatic isolations.
Russia manager Stanislav Cherchesov received a congratulatory phone call from Vladimir Putin following Thursday's 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia #WorldCup https://t.co/juTvT7gcux pic.twitter.com/J5AA7djwyR
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 14, 2018
Nevertheless, it proved to be an extremely successful night for the hosts - who also kicked off their World Cup campaign with a stunning 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, sending a strong message to the other 30 teams at the tournament.
The Socceroos will play their first match on Saturday evening against favourites France.
