World Cup 2018 Closing Ceremony Start Time, Live Stream and Latest Buzz
The 2018 FIFA World Cup reaches its last day on Sunday, and fans will be treated to a closing ceremony of sorts before France take on Croatia in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
The World Cup differs from the Olympic Games in that the opening and closing ceremonies are usually adapted into the first and final games of the tournament, with not as much fanfare around the events.
Details have been kept close to organisers' chests ahead of Sunday's finale, which is set to kick off at 6 p.m. local time (4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET). Fox Soccer Match Pass will provide live-stream services in the U.S., and ITV Hub and BBC iPlayer will do the same in the UK.
Will Smith, Era Istrefi and Nicky Jam will perform their 2018 World Cup theme song, "Live It Up," at the closing ceremony, and they appeared at a press conference on Friday ahead of their performance:
Per FIFA's official website, Smith revealed his delight to be performing in this competition and gave a rundown of some of his highlights:
"This is the biggest sporting event in the world. When I was asked to be a part of it, I didn’t even have to think about it. The World Cup is a magical, global energy. I love being a part of it.
"For me, I thought the Croatia and Russia shootout was very memorable. The Croatian goalkeeper was amazing. 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."
Fans can look forward to a vibrant display at the Luzhniki Stadium if Smith's performance in the pre-final press conference was anything to go by, with Squawka highlighting his enthusiasm:
Tournament hosts will be hoping Sunday's entertainment passes by without as much incident as the opening ceremony, wherein ex-Take That member Robbie Williams stirred controversy during his performance of "Rock DJ."
Williams later appeared on ITV's This Morning and professed his middle-finger gesture to the camera was simply a one-minute countdown to the kick-off between hosts Russia and Saudi Arabia:
Smith will be one of the entertainers looking to avoid such a faux pas on Sunday, while organisers may yet fit in a surprise for the occasion after details have been kept so tightly under wraps.
