The 2026 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, has become the most music-saturated tournament in the event’s history, driven by a flood of official anthems, brand collaborations, and grassroots supporter songs.
A Growing Musical Tradition
The 1994 tournament in the United States marked FIFA’s first official album, Gloryland, with Daryl Hall and Sounds of Blackness providing the title theme. That edition also saw Diana Ross miss a penalty during the opening ceremony performance. Thirty-two years later, the soundtrack has expanded dramatically in scope and geography.
National Teams and Supporter Anthems
This year, a dozen artists have released music to back their national sides, many under the FIFA Sound banner on platforms like Spotify. Nearly a week after the opening match, FIFA Sound ranked as Spotify’s fourth-fastest-growing artist by monthly listener growth.
In Colombia, Luis Alfonso and Pipe Bueno teamed up for “Te Quiero Ver Campeón” (590,000 Spotify streams), while vallenato star Silvestre Dangond featured player Luis Díaz in the video for “Ganas de Tenerla” (1.6 million). Belgium’s Sylvie Kreusch and rapper Roméo Elvis delivered “Kiss the Grass (Allez Allez)” (116,000), and Scotland’s JJ Bull, a journalist-turned-synthpop artist, saw “Very Unofficial World Cup Song” (39,000) become the country’s most popular musical backing for its first World Cup appearance since 1998.
Brands Enter the Studio
Corporate sponsors also contributed to the musical landscape. Coca-Cola brought together J Balvin, Amber Mark, Travis Barker, and Steve Vai for a cover of Van Halen’s “Jump” (2.1 million streams). Adidas recruited Japanese singer Ado for “Kira,” the only track in this year’s lineup with a predominantly female audience. Buchanan’s Blended Scotch Whisky tapped Rauw Alejandro for “Dando Vueltas” (4.4 million), a track celebrating the Latino community’s connection to the sport.
Official Album and Host City Themes
The Canada Soccer Foundation released a full album, Perfect Pitch, featuring musical ambassadors. Nelly Furtado and Boi-1da’s “Electric Circus” leads with 1.4 million streams since April, and it is the only partisan release whose largest listenership comes from outside its home country: 31.6% of streams originate in the United States, with Canada trailing Brazil, Mexico, and the UK.
FIFA also invited one act from each of the 16 host cities to reinterpret the official theme for the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Host City Themes project. Meanwhile, the official tournament album has drawn the most attention, though not all of it positive.
Standout Tracks and Streaming Data
Belinda and Los Ángeles Azules’ “Por Ella” (4.1 million streams), Jessie Reyez and Elyanna’s “Illuminate,” and Daddy Yankee and Shenseea’s “Echo” (1.1 million) have been well received. Elyanna, one of the lesser-known contributors, saw her Chartmetric rank jump from 4,300 to 1,700, TikTok likes rise from 30.9 million to 32.3 million, and Wikipedia page views surge from 377 to 12,100.
The most discussed track, however, is Jelly Roll and Carin Leon‘s “Lighter.” With 6.2 million streams, it is the second most-played official song of the tournament so far. Critics have called it an awkward fit for the event, and some social media users demanded the World Cup be canceled. Despite the backlash, “Lighter” has already surpassed official themes like Anastacia’s “Boom” (2002) and Il Divo and Toni Braxton’s “The Time of Our Lives” (2006).
How 2026 Compares to Past Tournaments
At the same pre-kickoff stage during Qatar 2022, Ozuna’s “Arhbo” had reached 10 million streams. Jung Kook’s “Dreamers,” released on the tournament’s opening day, eventually amassed 528.9 million. For Russia 2018, FIFA did not issue a full album, but the standalone track “Live It Up” by Nicky Jam, Will Smith, and Era Istrefi accumulated 165.6 million streams.
