Mystery solved as Robbie Williams responds to ‘white substance falling on mic’ live on TV

There was plenty of drama in yesterday's World Cup final but some folks are more bothered about what happened off the pitch.

It was Spain who triumphed after extra time to earn their second title, with Ferran Torres earning them a deserved 1-0 win following 120 minutes of Argentina fouling the Spanish players at every opportunity and very troubling scenes at the full-time whistle.

Ahead of Madonna, Shakira and iShowSpeed's halftime show, which some people accused of being AI, Robbie Williams performed ahead of kick-off alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini.

Strangely, Williams then popped up on German broadcast Magenta TV alongside ex pros Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller.

He took the opportunity to grill Jurgen Klopp about if he would consider leading the German national team post-World Cup, but eagle-eyed viewers were more concerned about something white that came from Williams before landing on the microphone.

However, the former member of Take That suggested that, despite his recent biopic, there was no monkey business going on, as he put those rumours to bed in his latest Instagram video.

He said: "I'd just like to apologise for the object that fell onto the microphone yesterday.

"I was deeply unprofessional and people worried about me, but it's okay because I had several more."

He then showed off some mints in his mouth, as he reveals that it was actually a piece of a mint sweet which fell on the microphone.

Although, he still hasn't really explained why he wanted to wipe that mint on his forehead to save for later.

As for the rest of the halftime show, which resulted in the longest halftime in history, the dominant reaction seemed to be confusion.

It saw Madonna driven through underground tunnels by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, Jason Sudeikis in character as Ted Lasso, and Muppets performing The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army'.

One viewer wrote: "I can't tell what's real, what's pre-recorded and what's AI anymore?

"Surely R9 didn't just drive a car with Ronaldinho next to him as Madonna groped his chin from the back seats?!"

Wayne Rooney simply said the show was 'cr*p' when asked his opinion by the BBC's Gabby Logan, while Oasis' Liam Gallagher said it was 'like a bad trip'.

Put together by Coldplay's Chris Martin, the show featured some of the biggest artists in the world.

But out of all the musical heavyweights, which of them have the most cash in the bank?

World Cup final halftime show artists ranked by their net worth

FIFA has put on an absolutely packed halftime show, with Shakira, Madonna, Justin Bieber and BTS co-headlining.

Here they are, ranked from very rich to very, very, very rich.

Gustavo Dudamel - $10 million

One of the lesser-known faces in the halftime show, Dudamel is a conductor and violinist who is leaving the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the New York Philharmonic.

Long story short, he’s not the kind of guy you’d expect to perform alongside Shakira and Justin Bieber.

According to Sportskeeda, he’s worth $10 million.

Burna Boy - $22 million

The Afrobeats artist has collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Dave and Shakira on hit songs, the latter being the 2026 World Cup anthem ‘Dai Dai’.

He’s worth a cool $22 million, according to Love Money.

BTS - $150 million to $350 million collectively

Recently back from a hiatus after completing compulsory military service, the K-pop group’s inclusion in the halftime show is sure to delight many.

Of the seven members, V is said to be the wealthiest, worth between $38 million and 40 million according to the Economic Times.

Collectively, they’re worth between $150 million and $350 million.

Justin Bieber - $200 million

Bieber made a generational comeback earlier this year at Coachella, marking his biggest live show in four years - and it certainly got everyone talking.

Is the World Cup ready for his laptop and YouTube Premium account?

He’s worth $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, which happens to be the sum he sold his music back catalogue for back in 2023.

Shakira - $350 million

Her hips don’t lie, and neither do her paycheques. Shakira is the most successful Colombian artist in history, shifting over 100 million records worldwide.

Alongside Burna Boy, she’s responsible for the 2026 World Cup song ‘Dai Dai’, and who could forget 2010’s ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’ for the South Africa World Cup.

She’s said to be worth $350 million, according to Marca.

Madonna - $850 million

Madonna is one of the wealthiest female musicians in history, with her latest album Confessions II dropping this month and naturally debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

With hits including ‘Like a Prayer’, ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ and ‘Like a Virgin’, it’s no surprise she’s absolutely rolling in it - she’s worth $850 million, according to Forbes.