10) Live it up, Nicky Jam, Will Smith, and Era Istrefi
The track aimed to be a global, unifying anthem centred around celebrating life, teamwork, and victory. Actor and rapper Will Smith provided an English rap verse, marking his first major musical contribution in several years. Nicky Jam, Will Smith, and Era Istrefi performed it to a massive global audience during the tournament's closing ceremony with just minutes to go before the final match.
9) We Are One (Ole Ola), Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte, World Cup 2014
Released on April 8, 2014, as the lead single for the tournament's official album, One Love, One Rhythm, it blends Latin house, samba-reggae, and dance-pop to capture a festive, stadium-ready atmosphere. The song did very well in the charts, but there were also complaints in Brazil that the song was too generic, featured too much English and Spanish, and lacked an authentic, homegrown Brazilian rhythm.
8) The Time of Our Lives, Il Divo feat. Toni Braxton, World Cup 2006
The official song of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was The Time of Our Lives by vocal group Il Divo and R&B singer Toni Braxton. Featuring a different pace than the typical high-tempo, dance-heavy anthems, “The Time of Our Lives” was an orchestral, operatic pop ballad that focused on emotional destiny and shared memories to bring a sense of grace and dramatic emotion to the tournament's opening and closing ceremonies.
7) Dia Dia, Shakira, World Cup 2026
Performed by global pop star Shakira featuring Nigerian Afrobeats sensation Burna Boy. Dai Dai translates to "Come on" or "Let's go" in Italian. The multilingual track features lyrics in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese to unite fans across the host nations - the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
6) Carnaval de Paris, Dario G, World Cup 1998
Serving as one of the tournament's most memorable unofficial anthems, Dario G intentionally integrated traditional instruments representing the competing nations. The central melody was inspired by a football chant; In 1996, fans of the English club Sheffield Wednesday adopted a tune sung by FC Utrecht fans in the Netherlands (originally based on the traditional folk ballad Oh My Darling, Clementine).
4) A Special Kind of Hero, Stephanie Lawrence, World Cup 1986
The song and the accompanying film became synonymous with Argentina's Diego Maradona. A Special Kind of Hero differs widely from the normal, modern, bombastic, high-energy World Cup anthems, through its slow, emotional, and dramatic ballad backed up by 1980s synthesisers and Lawrence's powerful and elegant vocals.
3) Waka Waka (This Time For Africa), Shakira World Cup 2010
Shakira was the co-writer and producer of this song, and the Colombian singer based its famous chorus on a marching chant from the 1986 song "Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)" by the Cameroonian band Golden Sounds. Waka Waka reached No. 1 in 15 countries and turned into the biggest-selling World Cup song of all time, selling over 15 million digital downloads worldwide. It holds the Guinness World Record for the most-streamed FIFA World Cup song.
2) Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida), Ricky Martin, World Cup 1998
"The Cup of Life" did much more than promote a football tournament; it took part in altering the course of late-90s music history and paved the way for Martin's English-language mega-hit, Livin' La Vida Loca. The track topped the charts across Europe and Latin America, including France, Germany, Sweden, and Italy. It became one of the best-selling singles of the era, reaching platinum status in multiple nations.
1) Un'estate italiana, Gianna Nannini & Edoardo Bennato, World Cup 1990
Un'estate italiana (An Italian Summer) is widely considered by football fans and music critics to be the greatest FIFA World Cup anthem of all time. Gianna Nannini, Edoardo Bennato, and Edoardo Bennato transformed the song into a passionate, anthemic rock ballad about childhood football dreams, sportsmanship, and the thrilling desire to win. It became the best-selling single in Italy from January to September 1990 and topped the music charts across Europe.