US broadcaster Fox apologised for the offensive gesture given by pop star Robbie Williams during his performance at the FIFA World Cup 2018 opening ceremony performance on June 14 in Moscow.

The 44-year-old singer didn’t explain the reason behind his act but he appeared to mouth the phrase "I did this for free" — a response to criticism for gracing an event dear to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Followed by the incident, the broadcaster released an apology statement where they said, “The 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony was a newsworthy event produced by a third party and carried live on Fox. As it was broadcast live, we did not know what would happen during Robbie Williams' performance and we apologize.”

Apart from compelling the Fox to apologise, this incident has also prompted a deluge comments on social media. Many from parents saying the gesture was inappropriate for children.

Robbie's began his performance with ‘Let Me Entertain You’ and included his songs ‘Feel and Angels’. The incident happened when Robbie was performing his 2000 track ‘Rock DJ’.

In the United Kingdom, the incident was not seen by the viewers however, it has been widely witnessed over the internet.