Addressing the Confusion
Robbie Williams has publicly addressed the viral moment from his recent performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, where viewers noticed a mysterious white substance falling from his mouth onto his microphone. The 52-year-old singer took to Instagram on Monday, July 20, to clear the air regarding the incident.
«I would just like to apologize for the object that fell onto the microphone yesterday. It was deeply unprofessional and people worried about me,» Williams stated in the video. «But it’s OK because I have several more.» To prove his point, the musician laughed and stuck out his tongue to reveal additional mints. He later captioned the post: «Just woke up and feeling… Mint.»
Context of the Performance
The incident occurred while Williams was preparing for his appearance at the tournament's closing ceremony, where he performed the official anthem, «Desire,» alongside artists Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini. During the broadcast, Williams was seen catching a small lozenge that had dropped from his mouth, briefly holding it before it stuck to his forehead.
A Candid Look at Sobriety
Given Williams' well-documented history with substance abuse, the social media reaction was swift. However, the singer has been vocal about his path to recovery. In a 2022 interview with The Irish Times, he candidly described his past: «I was a fully-fledged, fully-blown, self-medicating addict. So unfortunately, it wasn’t a lot of fun — which is why I’m a sober person right now.»
Reflecting on his journey earlier this month in a conversation with El País, Williams emphasized his current mindset: «I haven’t drunk in 25 years. That part isn’t difficult for me. The difficult part is dealing with life as it is. But now I trust myself. I don’t think that because I have a day of anxiety I’ll go out and do cocaine and relapse. I’ll simply sit with it and live with it. I know myself and trust myself more than before.»
When asked if he would change his past experiences during his time with the band Take That, Williams noted that while he might have avoided certain pitfalls, those experiences shaped who he is today. «I’m all of these things because I did,» he explained. «I don’t know, if I had a time machine, that I would change anything.»