The event for which the world has been waiting four years, kicked-off yesterday with former Take That heart-throb Robbie Williams taking centre stage.
Williams 44, sang to a crowd of more than 78,000 screaming fans at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow before the World Cup opener between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Most of the screaming fans were screaming:
"устать от чего-либо!", which means "we've had enough!"
The popstar from Port Vale belted-out a selection of his hits including 'Let Me Entertain You', 'Feel' and 'Angels', but not the one that upset Vladimir Putin and the rest of the Big Red Country in 2016, 'Party Like A Russian'.
Aided by Aida Garifullina - whoever she is - Mr Williams went down like the proverbial lead balloon with the supporters in the stadium. In the middle of 'DJ Rock' - a song I have never heard of - Mr Williams stuck his middle finger up to TV cameras, indicating something, but nobody knows what.
One disgruntled Russian, Ivan Karamazov said, in surprisingly-good English:
"The only thing that pisses me off more than Williams, is Walliams."
