Fifa World Cup opening ceremony
Aida Garifullina joined Robbie Williams when the former was performing his hit number, Angels.Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Russia met Saudi Arabia to play the first match of 2018 World Cup in Moscow, Russia. While you'd expect that Russia beating the visitors Saudi Arabia 5-0 would make the most headlines, it was British pop star Robbie Williams that got tongues wagging after he flashed his middle finger at the camera during opening act at the 2018 FIFA tournament.

Dressed in a red and black leopard suit, the artist made the obscene gesture after he modified the lyrics of Rock DJ to "I did this for free." The original lyrics are: "/Every night/Pimpin' ain't easy." However, he changed it to "Most of them fleece me/I did this for free" and gave the finger.

Williams was performing the opening act with Russian soprano Aida Garifullina. The two were singing a duet of his song 'Angels'.

The controversial moment took the internet by storm. Several people were shocked by how he let that moment slide by while others laughed at his desperate attempt make the headlines. Check out the reactions below.

The singer previously was involved in a controversy with Russia courtesy his song, "Party Like a Russian." He was accused of promoting stereotypes through his songs.

Meanwhile, Russia's President Vladimir Putin also became the butt of a few jokes online. Through the match, the cameras would try to grab Putin's reaction when any major move influencing the match would take place. The cameraman's attempt to keep Putin in focus also resulted in some hilarious trolls online.

Reaction to Robbie Williams' obscene gesture:

Putin trolled:

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