The Songs That Soundtracked the 2026 World Cup

Jade Read

Editor-in-Chief

July 20, 2026

With the World Cup over and fans on the next plane home, the songs that linger in pubs, stadiums, and the major cities of America followed them home. Every World Cup sees countries claiming a song as their battle cry, singing it at the top of their lungs wherever they go.

The biggest example of this trend came from England with their adoption of Oasis' "Wonderwall" for the 2026 World Cup, sending it to No. 1 on Spotify's Global chart. After the final whistle of every Three Lions game, pubs erupted with the Manchester classic while England lined up on the pitch, singing it right back to them. But they weren't the only ones.

John Denver's Poems, Prayers, & Promises

Following the end of the United States' 2-0 victory over Australia, FIFA Chief Business Officer Amy Hopfinger had the idea to add John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" to the in-stadium playlist as a way to create emotion around U.S. matches. And that's exactly what it did. Almost instantly, stadiums broke into one massive singalong as fans rallied behind the Stars and Stripes.

As for the defending champions, Argentina brought back "Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar." Originally recorded by La Mosca, the song became the unofficial anthem of La Albiceleste after schoolteacher Fernando Romero rewrote the lyrics in 2021 following Argentina's Copa América victory. Unfortunately for them, the hope wasn't enough to lift another World Cup title.

Wherever Scotland played, the Tartan Army followed. For the team's first World Cup appearance since 1998, Edinburgh Airport may have seen more departures to the States than it had in years as thousands flooded the streets of Boston and Miami singing "No Scotland, No Party." Ironically, the chant comes from Rodrigo Bueno's song "La Mano de Dios," written for Diego Maradona, but this time rewritten for Scotland's golden generation of John McGinn, Andy Robertson, Scott McTominay, and manager Steve Clarke. As Ocean Drive was taken over and Boston echoed with Scottish chants, the Scots once again cemented themselves as the life of the party.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToMPRbl7Hgo

Freed From Desire - GALA

Then there's Gala's "Freed From Desire," the one song that somehow gets rewritten for whoever's playing that day. Since Northern Ireland made it a football anthem during Euro 2016, it has taken on a life of its own. Every tournament brings a new version, and in 2026 it was heard most with France and Switzerland.

Though they didn't have much time in the tournament to sing it, the Germans still came out belting Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst)," a song that has become synonymous with the national team after being adopted as its goal celebration anthem, though there wasn't much singing after their Round of 16 defeat to Paraguay.

The same story followed the Dutch with "Links Rechts." More chant than song, it has become a staple whenever Oranje are on the field, bringing thousands together in dance every time it comes on.

While there were plenty more songs throughout the tournament, not all of them were fully adopted by an entire country, with some nations simply sticking to their national anthem. Below, we've compiled the songs we think best represent each nation from the 2026 World Cup. Whether they'll still be sung four years from now or fade into tournament history, these were the songs that defined the summer and gave every nation a soundtrack of its own.

Mexico: Cielito Lindo — Quirino Mendoza y Cortés (traditional)

South Africa: THIS IS BAFANA — Shabz

South Korea: Burning Up (FIRE) — BTS

Czechia: Národní tým — DJ Nassi

Canada: Goals — LISA, Anitta & Rema

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Take Me To America — Dubioza Kolektiv

Qatar: Freed From Desire — Gala

Switzerland: Freed From Desire — Gala

Brazil: Samba de Janeiro — Bellini

Morocco: Dima Maghrib — Maher Zain

Haiti: Ann Ale — Prophète & Jessica Antoine

Scotland: No Scotland, No Party — Tartan Army

United States: Take Me Home, Country Roads — John Denver

Paraguay: Albirockja — Rolando Chaparro

Australia: Thunderstruck — AC/DC

Turkey: Çalhanoğlu Çalhanoğlu — Abul Media Production

Germany: Major Tom (Völlig losgelöst) — Peter Schilling

Curaçao: Bluewave — Jeon Arvani

Ivory Coast: Coup du Marteau — Tam Sir

Ecuador: Ecuador, Sí Se Puede — Damiano

Netherlands: Links Rechts — Snollebollekes

Japan: Ao No Hokori — Football Poet

Sweden: När vi gräver guld i USA — Glenmark Eriksson Strömstedt

Tunisia: Sidi Mansour — Saber Rebaï

Belgium: Freed From Desire — Gala

Egypt: Bilady, Bilady, Bilady — Sayed Darwish & Yunis El Qadi

Iran: Iran Football Song: World Cup Anthem of Iran National Football Team — Kimiagar

New Zealand: Slice of Heaven — Dave Dobbyn & Herbs

Spain: Once Corazones — DPG

Cape Verde: SIKI SIKI (Remix) — Lisandro Cuxi & Loony Johnson

Saudi Arabia: Green Falcons — Ayed Youssef

Uruguay: Cielo de un Solo Color — No Te Va a Gustar

France: Freed From Desire — Gala

Senegal: Teranga Rek — Football Poet

Iraq: Aja El Iraq — Mahmoud Al Turki

Norway: Vi er Norge — JORN

Argentina: Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar — La Mosca

Algeria: One, Two, Three, Viva l'Algérie! — Medi Meyz

Austria: Maria (I Like It Loud) — Scooter

Jordan: Al Nashama — RedOne, Al Salman & Yara Mustafa

Portugal: A Minha Casinha — Xutos & Pontapés

DR Congo: Congo Elonga — Donat Mwanza

Uzbekistan: Olg'a O'zbekiston — Jahon Sari

Colombia: El Ritmo Que Nos Une — Ryan Castro & SOG

England: Wonderwall — Oasis

Croatia: Moja Domovina — Hrvatski Band Aid

Ghana: We Shall Score — CJ Biggerman & Big Ivy

Panama: Sube la Marea (Remix) — Los Gaitanes

Edited by: Stephanie Rodriguez