Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini perform FIFA anthem 'Desire' at final

musicJul 19, 20261141,529

Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini performed the official FIFA anthem "Desire" during the final ceremony, with Nicole Scherzinger and rapper Post Malone also appearing in the program. Robbie wrote "Desire" and said he is "beyond honoured to be the Official FIFA Music Ambassador" and to perform the song with Laura at the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. Laura Pausini called the song "amazing, really touching" and said performing live with Williams in front of passionate football fans was a dream, recalling football passion from her childhood in Italy. Robbie said the song will be part of some of his favourite FIFA tournaments in the coming years, framing the performance as the start of an ongoing collaboration. The ceremony paired the anthem with stadium visuals and aerial shots, placing the music performance alongside the competitive finale.

Tariq Panja

@tariqpanja.bsky.social

Obviously the train left station a long time ago, but the World Cup final being a musical concert right up until the first whistle means there is no longer a discernible football atmosphere. Argentina fans who have sang their hearts out throughout the month drowned out just now by Robbie Williams

244Yesterday

Tariq Panja67

And now there is a speech from Tom Cruise. Sure he’ll make a tidy packet for this but what is the point of this. Football and the public seem a very long way away from what’s going less than 10 minutes before kickoff

Alice Lastname2

Fucking Louis Vuitton box - fucking shit

pete-m-artist.bsky.social1

I know their in NJ but robbie Williams needs to work on his tribute

ℳatt

@matttomic.bsky.social

Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger are singing a song that sounds like it was composed by ChatGPT interspersed with aerial shots of the stadium surrounded by miles of New Jersey barren swampland, off to a great start

A shot on the World Cup broadcast of the Meadowlands stadium in East Rutherford from above

71Yesterday

ℳatt30

What in God's name are these lyrics. This is like a song from a 30 Rock B-plot where Jenna Maroney gets kidnapped and has to sing the theme to a Moldovan children's show

Patrick Daugherty

@rotopat.bsky.social

Donald Trump and Robbie Williams in the same building for the first time since they were both on the Italian version of "Big Brother" in 2006

81Yesterday

James O'Malley

@jamesomalley.co.uk

I wonder how many people said no before they got to Robbie Williams?

76Yesterday

Chauman3

Infantino had to secure the Colombian vote.

Slow Down Arthur1

Gary, Mark, Jason and Howard.

Amuse.1

Thought FIFA had reanimated Liberace.

Jeff Rueter

@jeffrueter.bsky.social

Hard to recognize Robbie Williams without the requisite ape CGI.

61Yesterday

Siobhán Dowling

@siobhandowling.bsky.social

oh dear god, Robbie Williams looking like your uncle who still lives at home.

47Yesterday

Greg Jenner (Historian)

@gregjenner.bsky.social

Tom Cruise, Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger is an odd triad for USA 2026…

52Yesterday

Moonlight Hanger4

How are the BBC presenters managing to maintain a straight face describing all that nonsense rather than raging that the most important football match in the world is being held up while Tom Cruise reads out a ChatGPT monologue?

Bad Ancient/ Owen Rees3

Why was the US national anthen played ... I feel like that is not normal for the host nation? Or have I just blocked every opening to a WC final from my memory?

El Guapo2

I thought that was Morrissey for a moment.

Lady Celestina, Princesa de Pastel1

what do all 3 have in common? (I don't know)

Lisa Stevens1

Loved that lip syncing 🙄

Richard Baxell1

Odd is an odd word to choose

Sean Casten

@seancasten.bsky.social

Appreciate that Robbie Williams dressed up like Paulie from thr Sopranos for his East Rutherford gig.

48Yesterday

Pilot

@pilotbeer.co.uk

Swear to god we didn’t know about Robbie Williams when we signed this deal.

35Yesterday

Quoting this

Pilot5

At least now the American razzmatazz is out of the way, we can all look forward to a quiet 15 minute long half-time period with nothing but 3 ex-pros having a wee look back at some of the first half’s key incidents.

Adam Bonin

@adambonin.bsky.social

STOP TRYING TO MAKE ROBBIE WILLIAMS A THING IN AMERICA. We didn't watch the chimp movie. Come on. Stop it.

37Yesterday

Daniel Fienberg 5

Anybody who didn't watch the chimp movie missed the best musical biopic of the century. So.. like... YOUR loss.

chryso-cyon.bsky.social1

My mom had to have been half the US ticket sales

trevorlambert.bsky.social1

If you keep your mitts off football instead of inflicting this tawdry nonsense on us, you have a deal.

Chris Steller

@chrissteller.bsky.social

North Americans are genetically unable to know who Robbie Williams is.

34Yesterday

Adam Miller7

Thought he was an ape?

Trey Warren7

Any band at any venue in the UK could do a cover of Angels and the ENTIRE crowd would sing along with every word. If any American band covered that song at an American venue, they’d be lucky if even 10% of the crowd would recognize it at all.