Robbie Williams has addressed a viral video from the 2026 World Cup Final, explaining that a white substance seen falling from his face onto his microphone during a live interview was a mint, not cocaine. The incident occurred during the final match between Spain and Argentina.
Williams, 52, shared a video on Instagram Monday to clarify the situation. In the clip, he humorously apologized for the "deeply unprofessional" object that fell, before revealing he had "several more" and sticking out his tongue to show two mints. He captioned the post with "Just woke up and feeling…. Mint 😀 x."
The singer performed at the World Cup Final, singing the FIFA World Cup anthem "Desire" alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini. Among the celebrity attendees were Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Timothée Chalemet, and Kylie Jenner.
Following the live broadcast, some social media users speculated on X, formerly Twitter, accusing Williams of using cocaine. Comments included remarks about "powder" and one user suggesting that "when a lump of coke falls off my face, I always stick it to my forehead too." The video showed Williams taking the object off his mic, and it later appeared on his forehead after he scratched his head.
Williams has previously been open about his struggles with alcoholism and substance abuse, having entered rehab multiple times, most recently in 2007 for prescription drug addiction. In his 2017 book "Reveal," he reflected on experiencing "very, very dark places" and how addiction affects one's ability to care.
Spain ultimately won the World Cup Final against Argentina with a score of 1-0.