World Cup 2018 Closing Ceremony: Start Time, Known Performers and Celebrities

The 2018 FIFA World Cup reaches its conclusion on Sunday as France take on Croatia in the final. Before kick-off, the tournament's closing ceremony will take place at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

A variety of entertainers are expected to perform as Russia wraps up what has been a thrilling month of football.

Once the ceremony is over, the real business will unfold on the pitch as France and Croatia aim to etch their names into the history books.

Date: Sunday, July 15

Time: 2 p.m. local time/12 p.m. BST/7 a.m. ET

Venue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

TV Info: BBC One (UK), ITV 1 (UK), Fox (U.S.), Telemundo (U.S.)

The World Cup kicked off over four weeks ago with a short but sweet opening ceremony. Singer Robbie Williams was a late addition to the lineup, and he stole the headlines after raising his middle finger to the audience and television cameras.

Russia will be hoping for less controversy in the closing ceremony, which is bound to provoke some sadness.

The 2018 World Cup has been widely regarded as one of the best international tournaments after providing plenty of shocks, late comebacks and action-packed matches, while the tournament's first-ever use of video assistant referee (VAR) has also stirred up debate.

The closing ceremony will feature a performance of the official 2018 World Cup song recorded by Will Smith, Nicky Jam and Kosovan pop singer Era Istrefi:

Smith has shared his favourite memories of the World Cup, per FIFA.com.

"For me, I thought the Croatia and Russia shootout was very memorable. The Croatian goalkeeper was amazing," he said. "I love Cristiano (Ronaldo). I love that dude. Seeing the things he does and the way he interacts with people, I think he has impeccable taste and style."

There have been few other details released about the closing ceremony, but there may be more music courtesy of K-pop band EXO. The boy band saw off competition from BTS after topping an online poll, per Metro's Katie Baillie.

EXO know all about performing on the world stage. They appeared at the closing ceremony for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Here's a look at what to expect:

The closing ceremony will also offer an opportunity to bid farewell to World Cup mascot Zabivaka. He may show off the dancing skills he has already showcased with England stars Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli:

The ceremony looks set to be a modest affair, with the real entertainment expected to come on the pitch between France and Croatia. Les Bleus will go into the game as favourites after reaching the final by beating Argentina, Uruguay and Belgium in the knockout stages.

Croatia have been taken to extra-time in their last three matches against Denmark, Russia and England and will have to guard against fatigue. They will also have to cope with the explosive pace of France striker Kylian Mbappe if they are to lift the World Cup for the first time.