As part of the World Cup celebrations every four years, FIFA adopt and commission tracks from musicians around the globe, in order to help promote the tournament and mark the occasion by giving each edition of the finals a unique sonic identity.
Most World Cup songs highlight the culture of the host nations, though English versions are often produced alongside native language originals in order to give them a more broad appeal. Some countries – such as England – even produce their own songs ahead of each tournament.
For the 2026 World Cup, an entire album of songs is set to be unveiled as a ‘soundtrack' to the tournament, featuring artists from across the continent of North America. The United States did something similar back in 1994 with the compilation album Gloryland World Cup USA 94, though this year's music will be all-original.
The first single, ‘Lighter' – a collaboration between Tennessee-born singer and rapper Jelly Roll and Mexican singer-songwriter Carin Leon – was released on March 20, 2026. While that Cirkut-produced track was met with mixed reviews from fans and critics alike, some of the World Cup songs of the past are so beloved that they have taken on a life beyond the tournament.
Looking for something to set the tone ahead of the 2026 World Cup? Read on as Football Ground Guide runs down the top five best World Cup songs of all time.
5. Pitbull ft. Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte – ‘We Are One (Ole Ola)’ (Brazil – 2014)
Who better to approach for a World Cup song than Mr Worldwide himself? That was probably the thought in the FIFA meeting that designated the official track for the Brazil 2014 tournament to rapper Pitbull.
Featuring Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte, ‘We Are One (Ole Ola)’ is a cheesy pop rap song that has amassed a billion views on YouTube in the 12 years since its release.
While it is a fun tune to listen to and a guilty pleasure for many, some from Brazil questioned the fact that the video only includes a short verse from Leitte – the one Brazilian artist involved – alongside presenting cliches and stereotypes about the country in the video.
The popularity of the anthem makes it hard to overlook, and when the 2026 World Cup rolls around, fans are sure to revisit this song for a hit of nostalgia.
Put your flags up in the sky (Put 'em in the sky, jogue lá no alto)
And wave 'em side to side (Side to side, lado a lado)
Show the world where you're from (Show 'em where you're from, we are one, baby)
Show the world we are one (One, love, life)
4. Edoardo Bennato & Gianna Nannini – Un'estate italiana (Italy – 1990)
The very first official song for a World Cup, ‘Un'estate italiana', was produced by legendary composer Giorgio Moroder, and features the voices of singer-songwriters Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini.
Moroder – known for his pioneering work with synths and European disco music – created an atmospheric backdrop for the Bennato and Nannini's voices to soar over, making use of guitars and '80s snare drums alongside synth chords to bring a sense of spectacle to the anthem.
‘Un'estate italiana' was a smash hit in Italy, and was the best selling single in the country between January and September 1990.
To modern football fans, the tune might be a bit slower-paced than ideal for the energy of a game, but it remains a fact that Moroder crafted a World Cup song that many supporters remember fondly and associate with the iconic Italia 90 tournament.
Italian:
Notti magiche inseguendo un goal
Sotto il cielo di un'estate italiana
E negli occhi tuoi, voglia di vincere
Un'estate, un'avventura in più
English:
Magical nights chasing a goal
Under the sky of an Italian summer
And in your eyes, the desire to win
One summer, one more adventure
3. Ricky Martin – Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida) (France – 1998)
Ricky Martin's anthem for the 1998 World Cup in France is not only remembered as one of the best World Cup songs ever, but as a key moment in the Puerto-Rican pop star's career.
‘Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida)' struck a chord with audiences around the world, especially in North America, helping to spark what has become known as the “Latin explosion” of the late '90s and early 2000s.
One of the defining moments for the track came at the 1999 Grammy awards, where Martin took to the stage and stole the spotlight with a rendition of his World Cup anthem alongside a slew of dancers and a 15-piece band.
That performance has also been credited with opening the door for a number of Latin artists in the years that followed, as well as pushing Martin's self-titled album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart three months later. Rob Prinz, who was the head of United Talent Agency at the time, called the performance “the single biggest game changing moment for any artist in the history of the Grammys.”
The feelin' in your soul
Is gonna take control
Nothing can hold you back
If you really want it
I see it in your eyes
You want the cup of life
Now that the day is here
Gotta go and get it
Do you really want it? (Yeah!)
Do you really want it? (Yeah!)
2. K'naan – Wavin' Flag (Celebration Mix) (South Africa – 2010)
While not the official FIFA anthem for the 2010 World Cup, K'naan's ‘Wavin' Flag (Celebration Mix)' has become inseparable from memories of the tournament for fans around the globe.
Coca Cola's decision to make the track their promotional song for the finals proved to be a stroke of genius, as their marketing campaign during that summer's World Cup launched ‘Wavin' Flag (Celebration Mix)' to number one in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, as well as to number two on the charts in the UK, Ireland and Italy.
The original ‘Wavin' Flag' was a single released in March 2009 that featured depictions of the hardships faced by refugees fleeing war, alongside references to K'naan's native Somalia.
However, the ‘celebration mix' version of the song replaces such lyrics to create a more football-focused celebratory atmosphere as the name suggests, while also integrating the Coca Cola jingle into the production.
This move was viewed negatively by some, though K'naan mentioned that he was ‘so proud' of this version, and noted how the World Cup can be a moment for togetherness.
“It's about the one time that we all get together and the world forgets its conflict and its problems and we focus on this unity and celebration. That moment is connected now to ‘Wavin' Flag.'”
When I get older, I will be stronger
They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag
When I get older, I will be stronger
They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag
So wave your flag, now wave your flag
Now wave your flag (Oh)
1. Shakira ft. Freshlyground – Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (South Africa – 2010)
‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' is undoubtedly the biggest World Cup song of all time, and has reportedly surpassed 15 million units sold including physical copies and equivalent album sales, not to mention the fact that it has racked up 4.5 billion views on YouTube.
Co-written by Shakira and Grammy-winning producer and songwriter John Hill, the track features a prominent sample and interpolation from the song ‘Zamina mina (Zangalewa)' by Cameroonian makossa group Golden Sounds, as well as an appearance from South African band Freshlyground.
However, while the song was a major commercial success, the decision to commission a Colombian artist to create the anthem rather than an African musician was met with criticism.
Speaking on the choice, Freshlyground's violinist Kyla-Rose Smith said “I think that the World Cup is a global event but it's also a business, a huge marketing exercise. FIFA requires a musician of a certain global reach to appeal to all the different kinds of people who are involved and witness and watch the World Cup. So I understand the choice of someone like Shakira.”
Lyrically, ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' is an uplifting song that tells listeners to carry on in the wake of setbacks, and to fight like soldiers on the pitch. The catchy melodies and celebratory spirit of the track will forever be associated with the World Cup, and fans are sure to be blasting the anthem from their speakers this summer once again.
The pressure's on, you feel it
But you got it all, believe it
When you fall get up, oh-oh
And if you fall get up, eh-eh
Zamina-mina, zangalewa?
‘Cause this is Africa
Zamina-mina, hé-hé
Waka, waka, hé-hé
Zamina-mina, zangalewa?
This time for Africa