Sixteen years and four World Cups ago, Colombian singer Shakira entered that rare pantheon of tournament anthems with Waka Waka, the last song to fully meet the brief and score a brilliant goal.
What made it great is that, like a seasoned manager before the big match, it studied the champions of the past.
One of those was The Cup of Life by Ricky Martin for the 1998 tournament in France, with its powerful, sky-scraping hook that now carries the same emotional pull as Pavarotti's Nessun Dorma.
It also channelled Hot Hot Hot by Arrow, which captured the fiesta, colour and energy of the last time Mexico hosted the tournament in 1986.
Waka Waka combined both. It had a euphoric chorus that was easy to sing, while also capturing the sonic spirit of the host continent through its percussion and arrangement.
Within the context of the 2026 World Cup, Dai Dai is the strongest of the official offerings so far. It is also the track that most clearly brings an African flavour to this tournament, which features the largest contingent of African teams in its history, with 10 nations competing. So it makes sense to bring in Nigeria’s Burna Boy, also known as the "African Giant".
As a result, there's a reggaeton-meets-Afrobeats track, and whether it works depends on how you view that fusion.
Afrobeats is mid-tempo and built for dancing, while reggaeton is more vocally driven, with a chant-like energy. That creates a tension over where Dai Dai could go sonically, although it ultimately leans more towards the former.
It is immaculately constructed, sung in English and Spanish, with its title, Dai Dai, drawn from a popular Italian phrase for "come on, let's go". It sounds as global as its ambitions.
It has a wonderful groove that makes you want to dance, and the melody ingratiates itself, with both Shakira and Burna Boy delivering throughout. After several listens, it will ring in your head. But would you sing along? Would it give you that feeling of wanting to join in?
These are the questions between the goal posts of Dai Dai. It is an anthem, but one built for the social media algorithm as opposed to the terrace. Maybe, as tournaments become bigger multimedia events, that is what a World Cup anthem should sound like now.
Either way, Dai Dai tops the table from the 2026 World Cup offerings. And if Shakira performs it as part of the first World Cup final half-time show, it will go down well.
With the 2026 tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada set to begin on June 11, Dai Dai joins a lineage of World Cup tracks stretching back six decades, from official anthems to songs adopted along the way.
Here are 17 that have defined the tournament's soundtrack.
1. Por Ella (2026) by Los Angeles Azules and Belinda
Score: Hit
The track harkens to the flavour of co-host Mexico.
The percolating cumbia courses through Por Ella, with Los Angeles Azules, the Mexican group, bringing their familiar brass and dance rhythm synonymous with the genre, while Mexican-Spanish singer Belinda adds a glossy pop vocal.
The lyrics describe the gilded World Cup trophy as a desired woman to be fought for.
2. Echo (2026) by Daddy Yankee and Shenseea
Score: Hit
Built around a sample of Red & Black Light by Lebanese-French trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, Echo brings together Daddy Yankee and Shenseea for a tropical banger.
Its repetitive “echo” chorus has the potential to become a familiar refrain in both stadiums and post-match club parties.
3. Illuminate (2026) by Jessie Reyez and Elyanna
Score: Hit
Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna teams up with Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez for a more sultry football number, emphasising the event’s global appeal.
Elyanna sings in both Arabic and English about resilience and competing against the best.
4. Lighter (2026) by Jelly Roll and Carin Leon
Score: Miss
The first track released for the 2026 tournament, Lighter moves away from the dance-pop template of recent World Cup soundtracks. Instead, it taps into the country-pop sound currently dominant on the charts, with American singer Jelly Roll’s rough-edged drawl set against Mexican singer Carin Leon’s smoother, Spanish-language croon.
The bilingual structure continues a familiar World Cup approach and reflects a tournament staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada, with English and Spanish vocals reflected across the track.
While it lacks the bright, celebratory tone of the most enduring World Cup anthems, it served more as a kick-off to the 2026 soundtrack than the defining track.
5. Light the Sky (2022) by Balqees, Rahma Riad and Nora Fatehi
Score: Miss
The latest tournament track released is the third official soundtrack for Qatar so far. It is the kind of euphoric dance-pop song Grammy-Award winning RedOne – the producer behind the song – specialises in.
Light the Sky is all about creating a party vibe with a hearty dose of football. It comes with the kind of walloping and easy-to-chant chorus fit for stadiums packed with international fans.
Unfortunately, the verses are forgettable and don't really address the competition at hand.
accompanying video features the trio performing in front of Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
6. Arhbo (2022) by Ozuna and Gims
Score: Hit
The second of the three songs was released in August. It blends cultures, sounds, singing styles and even languages.
Puerto Rican reggae star Ozuna teams up with French hip-hop artist Gims, with Spanish, French, English and Arabic vocals featuring throughout. It's primed for clubs and, simply put, has the foundations to be a banger.
The message is about building bridges, putting differences aside and fusing global identities – something with RedOne once again captures through mixing Latin pop, Afro-pop and Khaleeji sounds.
Whether heard in a stadium or a club, Arhbo is a winner.
7. Hayya Hayya (Better Together) (2022) by Davido, Aisha and Trinidad Cardona
Score: Hit
As the first of 2022's soundtracks to be released – way back in April – Hayya Hayya (Better Together) is an earworm.
Qatari singer Aisha teams up with Nigerian pop star Davido and US singer Trinidad Cardona. It is a cheery track, enjoying a Khaleeji percussion and reggae groove.
The accompanying music video was shot throughout the country, travelling everywhere from Qatar's desert to Doha's corniche.
8. Live It Up (2018) by Nicky Jam, Will Smith and Era Istrefi
Score: Hit
The anthem from the 2018 World Cup in Russia received a reception as frosty as a Moscow winter.
However, the track is not that bad at all. Uber-cool producer Diplo’s reggae and horn-soaked beats are well accompanied by serviceable rapping by Will Smith and crooning Kosovo-Albanian dance-hall singer Era Istrefi.
9. Allez Lmgharba (2018) by Samira Said
Score: Hit
Morocco’s qualification for the 2018 World Cup was great news not only for the North African country, but also for the whole region.
Hence Samira Said, one of the Arab world’s most-loved pop stars, being enlisted to sing the official track Allez Lmgharba.
While the song is a love letter to the Moroccan football squad, the upbeat rhythms and Arabic flavour were enough to keep regional football fans excited.
10. Time of Our Lives (2014) by Ahmed Chawki
Score: Hit
Despite Algeria being the only Arabic-speaking nation participating in the 2014 World Cup, it was enough for the tournament to commission a track partly sung in the language as an official song by Moroccan singer Ahmed Chawki.
This was ultimately a good decision, as Time of Our Lives is a hidden gem.
Produced by RedOne, the track is effervescent dance-pop with its fun care-free lyrics and stadium-ready chorus of: “Aye, aye here we go aye, this is the time of our lives.”
11. Waka Waka (2010) by Shakira
Score: Hit
While you're unlikely to overhear people debating which World Cup song is the best, you're definitely likely to hear this classic ring out at every future tournament.
After 10 official songs spanning three World Cups failed to dislodge Ricky Martin’s The Cup of Life as the most successful, Shakira’s Waka Waka arrived in 2010 to make a strong challenge for the crown.
A collaboration with South African fusion group Freshlyground, the song is an unwaveringly catchy amalgam of Latin flair and African grooves that can’t help but have you tapping along.
The tournament marked the first time it was held on the continent. Or, as Shakira Shakira herself put it, it was time for Africa.
However, unlike The Cup of Life, most of the lyrics to Waka Waka – with references to hopping “back in the saddle” and skipping the queue – were too vague to classify it as a sporting anthem. Either way, it remains one of the best.
12. Boom (2002) by Anastacia
Score: Miss
It was around this time that world anthems began to explode, with various official songs made to appear across the different nations that make up the sport’s wide fan base.
For this event, jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan, four songs were made, spanning classical music (Anthem by Vangelis) to Spanish (Vamos Al Mundial by Jennifer Pena).
English listeners sadly suffered the worst of the bunch; Boom by Anastacia is a forgettable piece of fluff.
13. The Cup of Life (1998) by Ricky Martin
Score: Hit
The gold standard. The greatest World Cup anthem of all time was recorded by an artist who rose to the challenge.
A year before the tournament in France, a young and hungry Ricky Martin was asked to come up with the official anthem for the tournament. Not overawed by the daunting nature of the challenge, Martin recognised it could be his shot at global stardom.
What made The Cup of Life work was that it remained true to Martin’s ethos of melding pop with Latin music.
The end result is a joyous and rollicking ride of samba rhythms, horns and a chorus even a young child could memorise.
While it is understandable for the French to be miffed at the lack of local elements in the track, The Cup of Life energised football fans around the world and was an active participant in the tournament.
The song also introduced Martin as pop music’s latest superstar, so it was mission accomplished. Less than a year later he was livid' la vida local, quite literally.
14. Gloryland (1994) by Daryl Hall and Sounds of Blackness
Score: Miss
We expected so much better from the United States. As the host nation and citadel of modern pop music, they should have shown how a sky-raising anthem is done.
Instead, they wheeled out a past-his-prime Daryl Hall (from the soft-rockers duo Hall and Oates) and gospel ensemble Sounds of Blackness for a turgid track with lyrics informing us that “with every passing moment, you begin to understand, that you are bound for Gloryland”.
15. Hot Hot Hot (1986) by Arrow
Score: Hit
This was the first great World Cup anthem, and that’s because it wasn’t recorded with the game in mind.
The track was written by Caribbean artist Arrow back in 1982 for his debut album, and Hot Hot Hot, with its jubilant tropical rhythms and sun-kissed lyrics, was an instant global success.
Its enduring appeal allowed it to be officially adopted by the World Cup four years later in Mexico – which also brought us the Mexican wave.
The track was a stadium favourite and was used in later years as the theme song of 1989’s Miss Universe and the Canadian ice hockey team the Toronto Maple Leafs.
16. El Mundial (1978) by the Buenos Aires Municipal Symphony
Score: Miss
The host nation Argentina won the tournament in 1978 and music fans lost out with this tepid song.
What makes this track particularly disappointing was that it was composed by none other than Ennio Morricone: the Italian is a master Hollywood composer and none of his flair for the grand and dramatic shone through in this soulless piece of lift music.
17. El Rock del Mundial (1962) by Los Ramblers
Score: Miss
World Cup anthems had none of the mass appeal back then: El Rock del Mundial is a fun and chirpy song that sounds like a Latin version of the rock staple Hound Dog, but there is nothing universal here.
The song is all about the host nation Chile, and the band’s lyrics function like parochial football commentary in certain parts: “Get the rebound, goal, goal by Chile.”
– A version of this story was first published on June 3, 2018
