Yahoo News Robbie Williams called 'Poundland Morrissey' after mixed reception to World Cup performance
The World Cup 2018 quite literally kicked off today in Russia where Robbie Williams of all people performed at the opening ceremony.
Previous tournaments have seen the likes of Jennifer Lopez take centre stage (in Brazil 2014), so when the 44-year-old former Take That singer was announced some people were a bit confused and underwhelmed.
The consensus seemed to be that Williams was beginning to morph into another famous British singer…
…former frontman of The Smiths, Morrissey.
Robbie Williams looks more and more like Morrissey every time I see him.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) June 14, 2018
Robbie Williams seems to be ageing into Morrissey.
— Tim Stillman (@Stillberto) June 14, 2018
Y un dia Robbie Williams se transformo en Morrissey pic.twitter.com/evoLReIzJK
— Earl Dougie Jones (@EarlWagnerYo) June 14, 2018
Robbie Williams is your creepy uncle who is obsessed with Morrissey #WorldCupRussia2018 pic.twitter.com/2zIf38sQOt
— Helen Meriel Thomas (@IAmHelenThomas) June 14, 2018
Why is Morrissey covering Robbie Williams songs for the World Cup opening ceremony? #WorldCupRussia2018 pic.twitter.com/I7NAmZFoKd
— Λ L B E Я T Ө (@Alberto_Aveiro) June 14, 2018
He’s morphing into Morrissey pic.twitter.com/CNrnSgZxcN
— Nooruddean (@BeardedGenius) June 14, 2018
Some users simply enjoyed ripping him…
Robbie Williams singing 'Angels' at the #WorldCup opening ceremony is good, but it isn't Barry from Eastenders singing 'Something Inside So Strong' at the bowls… pic.twitter.com/qvKs3uNOXM
— Sporting Index (@sportingindex) June 14, 2018
The former boyband member did thee songs, Let Me Entertain You, Real Love, and Angels – and the crowds (sort of) appeared to be enjoying it.
Well, except for these fellas…
Bored Russians, Robbie Williams flipping off the world, #WorldCup2018 already wild? pic.twitter.com/2NzJ8UGig0
— Dallas Osborn (@DallasSF) June 14, 2018
Some thought they’d entered a time warp, seeing the one popular star perform for the world.
Ronaldo brazil and robbie williams, is it 1998? #WorldCupRussia2018 pic.twitter.com/wbI2OcDx1S
— Ilham Oemar (@iyammoemar) June 14, 2018
Robbie Williams and fat Ronaldo is Russia trolling the world to remind us of simpler times when we had a Clinton as leader of the free world. #WorldCupRussia2018
— Lester Kiewit (@lesterkk) June 14, 2018
Others couldn’t understand why Williams of all people were invited there, after upsetting Russians with a song, Party Like A Russian, he once released.
Robbie Williams. A man who once wrote the lyric "press be asking do I care for sodomy, I don't know/yer probably" and last year released a single taking the piss out of oligarchs, feels like an… odd choice for an event in Russia.
— Marc Burrows ⚡️ (@20thcenturymarc) June 14, 2018
Some simply didn’t have a clue who he was…
Everyone born in the 90s or later watching Robbie Williams at the #WorldCup opening ceremony pic.twitter.com/FdKHcrlSRE
— Kenyadian Gooner (@KenyadianGooner) June 14, 2018
Robbie Williams, terrible crack#MundialRussia2018
— Lauti Martinez SL♥ (@MartinezLauti) June 14, 2018
Then there was the one guy who loved the presence of the ageing pop icon.
Robbie Williams. Absolute British legend of all time.
— VUJ (@DavidVujanic) June 14, 2018
Robbie teamed up with Russian opera singer Aida Garifullina to perform a duet of Angels, which some people seemed to dig…
That duet between #RobbieWilliams and #AidaGarifullina was absolutely delightful!! . “I’m loving angels instead…” I had tears of joy in my eyes! pic.twitter.com/NoRG899f00
— Karry Belle Armitage (@ArmitKarry) June 14, 2018
Good ceremony so far and what a powerfull voice by #AidaGarifullina #WorldCup
— Fetch Gero (@Fetch_Gero) June 14, 2018
Oh, and he only went and swore at the entire world (or maybe it was a swipe at Russia) directly to the camera, so there’s always that.
Robbie Williams randomly putting the middle finger up at the World Cup ceremony pic.twitter.com/QMoHjOYJll
— Filipe Orlando (@MrFilipeOrlando) June 14, 2018
The World Cup kicked off this afternoon between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia, and will continue until the final on 15 July.
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