When Did the World Cup First Have an Official Song and Which Was Most Popular?

World Cup songs have become a key feature of the tournament, serving to energize fans before each edition. FIFA selects the official song for the competition, and in recent tournaments, multiple songs or even entire albums have been released under various titles to promote the event.

Although FIFA-endorsed songs with widespread popularity have been relatively few, numerous artists have independently released football-themed anthems ahead of the World Cup, even without FIFA's official backing.

The first World Cup was organized by FIFA in 1930, but it was not until 1962, when the tournament took place in Chile, that a song was created to celebrate the event. The Chilean band Los Ramblers recorded "El Rock del Mundial" in March 1962, a few months before the tournament started on May 30 and ended on June 17. This song remains the best-selling physical record in Chilean history.

Although not officially commissioned by FIFA, "El Rock del Mundial" is considered the first actual World Cup song. It blends rock and roll with jazz influences and was performed by lead singer Herman Casas in the style of Elvis Presley, who was at the peak of his career. The song’s lyrics celebrate the 1962 World Cup as a global sports festival and encourage dancing to rock and roll rhythms, emphasizing Chilean spirit and sportsmanship.

Since then, the song has become an unofficial anthem for Chile’s national team and is credited by some historians with inspiring the concept of official World Cup songs. It was widely broadcast across Chile and gained popularity throughout Latin America.

Following this, every World Cup edition developed its own official song, often linked to the host country. The first song officially commissioned by FIFA was for the 1990 World Cup in Italy: "Un'estate italiana" ("The Italian Summer") by Edoardo Bennato and Gianna Nannini. This pop-rock track achieved significant success in Italy and other European countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Norway, and Sweden.

Latin American singers have played a major role in popularizing World Cup songs. After Chile’s early unofficial anthem, Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin delivered the first globally dominant official World Cup song in 1998 in France. FIFA adopted two official songs that year: one in French performed by a Senegalese singer and a Belgian female artist, and Ricky Martin’s "La Copa de la Vida" ("The Cup of Life"), recorded in both Spanish and English versions, incorporating the French word "allez" ("go").

"La Copa de la Vida" combined samba and Latin pop rhythms and topped charts worldwide, remaining popular for years. The song marked a turning point in Ricky Martin’s career, earning him a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance and contributing to the global Latin music boom. Notably, Martin performed the song at the inauguration of U.S. President George W. Bush in January 2001, where Bush joined him on stage to dance. Martin later criticized Bush’s administration during concerts, including a 2007 performance in Mexico.

One of the most universally recognized World Cup songs is Shakira’s "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" for the 2010 tournament in South Africa. The song samples the 1986 Cameroonian hit "Zamina Mina," which references soldiers in battle. Shakira sings in English about courage and resilience on the field. The music video features Lionel Messi and has amassed over 4.5 billion views on YouTube, ranking 14th among the platform’s most-watched music videos globally.

As of January 13, 2025, "Waka Waka" had over 1 billion streams on Spotify, holding the Guinness World Record for the most-streamed FIFA World Cup song on the platform. The track helped popularize Afro-Latin music worldwide. Shakira is the first artist to have two official FIFA World Cup songs, earning her the nickname "Queen of World Cup Songs."

Reception of Official World Cup Songs

Not all FIFA official World Cup songs achieved the same level of popularity. The 2014 Brazil World Cup official song, "We Are One (Ole Ola)," was a collaboration between Cuban-American singer Pitbull, Puerto Rican-American Jennifer Lopez, and Brazilian Claudia Leitte. The trilingual samba track (English, Spanish, Portuguese) encourages unity and pride.

Initially, the song faced criticism in Brazil for lacking authentic Brazilian musical elements such as bossa nova or samba, with some labeling it a generic pop song. Subsequently, a revised version featuring the Brazilian band Olodum, known for traditional Brazilian rhythms, was released and used in the official music video.

Popular Unofficial World Cup Songs

Several unofficial songs, not commissioned by FIFA, have also gained global acclaim and remain associated with the World Cup. One notable example is "Wavin' Flag" by Somali-Canadian artist K'naan. Originally written about Somalia’s aspirations for freedom and released in 2009, the song was adapted to raise funds for the 2010 Haiti earthquake relief and became Coca-Cola’s promotional anthem for the 2010 South Africa World Cup, as the company was the official sponsor.

Multiple versions of "Wavin' Flag" were produced, including a Spanish edition featuring singer David Bisbal. Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram contributed to the Arabic version, reflecting her partnership with Coca-Cola at the time. Ajram’s lyrics emphasize unity, encouragement, and national pride.

Another popular unofficial World Cup song was performed by the Swedish animated character Crazy Frog, who released a track titled "We Are the Champions (Ding Dang Dong)" during the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The song sampled Queen’s 1977 anthem "We Are the Champions," which has been widely used in sports events, including the 1994 World Cup in the United States, though never officially linked to FIFA.

Crazy Frog’s version reached number one in several countries, including France, where it stayed atop the charts for five weeks. It also ranked highly in Germany and Belgium and was a favorite among children and teenagers in the Arab world, effectively serving as the unofficial anthem of the 2006 World Cup, surpassing FIFA’s official songs in popularity.