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England are three wins away from World Cup glory and, as the Three Lions prepare to face Norway in their quarter-final in Miami, one song has provided the soundtrack to their journey.
Oasis classic ‘Wonderwall' has unexpectedly become England's anthem of the 2026 World Cup, bringing players and supporters together after victories and creating some of the tournament's most memorable scenes.
Why do England players sing Wonderwall with fans after matches?
It started after England's 4-2 victory over Croatia in their opening group game in Dallas.
Teams at the World Cup were asked to select music for various moments inside stadiums, including warm-up songs, goal music and post-match singalongs. ‘Wonderwall' was among England's choices.
When the song began playing over the stadium speakers after the Croatia win, England's players were applauding supporters when both groups spontaneously joined together to sing.
A new tradition was born.
The scenes have since been repeated during England's run through the tournament, including after their dramatic 2-1 knockout victory over DR Congo in Atlanta and thrilling 3-2 triumph over Mexico at the Azteca.
Captain Harry Kane described the original moment as one of his favourites in an England shirt, praising the emotional connection created between players and supporters.
Noel Gallagher, who wrote the song, has also embraced its new role. Despite not considering himself an England supporter, he described the original singalong as a “magical moment” and said the song now belongs to the people.
His brother Liam has also backed the Three Lions' new anthem on social media as its popularity has grown throughout the tournament.
‘Wonderwall' has even returned to the UK Top 40 after the World Cup singalongs went viral.
It follows ‘Sweet Caroline', which became synonymous with England's run to the Euro 2020 final, but there is something uniquely English about thousands of travelling supporters singing Oasis together thousands of miles from home.
There is also a certain poignancy to the song's lyrics.
England's road towards a first major trophy since 1966 has certainly been “winding”, while the drawn-out “maybe” that opens the chorus perfectly captures the cautious optimism of supporting a country that has endured decades of tournament heartbreak.
Perhaps it finally could be England's year.
Wonderwall lyrics and meaning
‘Wonderwall' was released in 1995 on Oasis' second album, ‘(What's the Story) Morning Glory?', and has become the Manchester band's most recognisable song.
Noel initially suggested the song was about his then-wife, Meg Mathews, but later said it concerned an imaginary friend who would “save you from yourself”.
That ambiguity may help explain why it works so well as a football anthem.
Nobody really needs to agree on what a “wonderwall” is. For one supporter, it could be England winning the World Cup, for another it could be a particular player, and for thousands in the stadium it can simply represent the emotional connection between the team and those following them across North America.
The most famous section begins with the imagery of winding roads and blinding lights before reaching the instantly recognisable chorus and its hopeful suggestion that somebody, or something, might ultimately provide salvation.
Thirty years after its release, ‘Wonderwall' has found another life.
England fans are thousands of miles from home, hugging their mates and singing Oasis with the players after World Cup victories.
As the Three Lions head to Miami for a quarter-final, they will hope there are still three more renditions to come.