Ronaldinho, Will Smith shine in closing ceremony

Moscow: Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho and United States actor and musician Will Smith were among the stars rocking the stage on Sunday for the 2018 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony, ahead of the final match pitting France against Croatia.

The 15-minute show featured several songs, culminating with the official World Cup song "Live it Up" performed by Smith alongside musicians Nicky Jam of the US and Era Istrefi of Kosovo, produced by DJ Diplo, reports Efe.

Russian soprano and soloist Aida Garifullina started the proceedings with a rendition of 'Moscow never sleeps' alongside Russian artist DJ Smash.

The ceremony paid tribute to all the 32 participating countries and 11 host cities before American singer Nicky Jam performed the number 'X'.

At one point in the 15-minute ceremony, Ronaldinho surprised the audience by showing up on the field playing a tall, wooden, Afro-Brazilian hand drum known as an atabaque, and was greeted with enthusiasm by the fans inside Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. With minutes to the start of the title clash, 2014 Germany World Cup-winning captain Philipp Lahm and Russian supermodel Natalia Vodionova brought the gleaming trophy to the pitch.

The ceremony ended with the World Cup being brought into the stadium, carried by Russian model Natalia Vodianova and former Germany captain Philipp Lahm, who led the national team to victory in the 2014 World Cup.