From Ricky Martin's The Cup of Life in 1998 to Shakira's chart-busting Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) in 2010, World Cup songs have been an intrinsic part of one of the biggest sporting spectacles.
But the past 60 years of World Cups has also given us a few musical duds, from the frosty reception received by Live It Up, the 2018 track by Nicky Jam featuring Will Smith and Era Istrefi to Anastacia's forgettable Boom in 2002.
So how do the latest crop of anthems for the Qatar World Cup stack up? Here are all the anthems released so far.
'Tukoh Taka' featuring Nicki Minaj, Maluma and Myriam Fares
The latest Fifa World Cup Qatar single has just been released, featuring Lebanese artist Myriam Fares alongside rapper Nicki Minaj and Colombian singer Maluma. With a catchy, upbeat tempo and cross-cultural influences, the single, titled Tukoh Taka, is now available on music streaming platforms.
The trio each bringing their own style as they sing and rap about welcoming fans to the Fifa World Cup. There are lyrics in English, Spanish and Arabic, and is it's themed around uniting the world and celebrating together.
An official video will also be released soon. A teaser for the video shows clips of football games and cheering fans in between shots of Minaj, Maluma and Fares performing against distinct backgrounds that represent their style and culture, while still collectively sharing the same look and feel.
Minaj raps in a bus being driven across the desert to a game, while women clad in gold outfits inspired by belly dancers perform behind her. Maluma appears in a desert at sunset with a giant football sculpture behind him, while Fares, dressed in a blue belly dancing-inspired outfit, plays with gold cymbals between her fingers as she performs in the desert flanked by male dancers playing Arabic drums.
'Light the Sky' featuring Nora Fatehi, Balqees, Rahma Riad, Manal and RedOne
Released in October, this single is full of the euphoric dance pop RedOne specialises in.
Light the Sky is all about creating a party vibe and comes with the kind of walloping and easy-to-chant chorus fit for stadiums packed with international fans.
Unfortunately, the verses — while competently sung — are forgettable and don't really address the competition at hand.
Emirati singer Balqees encourages us to party "like a VIP", Iraqi singer Rahma Riad urges us to "open up our hearts and let our love run free", while Morocco's Nora Fatehi references 16th-century astronomer Galileo Galilei when encouraging us to aim for the stars.
The World Cup vibes really come into play in the accompanying video, featuring the trio performing in front of the Lusail Stadium.
‘Arhbo’ featuring Ozuna & Gims
Released in August, this is another deft mix of cultures with Puerto Rican reggaeton star Ozuna teaming up with French hip-hop artist Gims for this club-ready track.
Sung in Spanish, French and English, while featuring an arresting Arabic vocal loop in the chorus, this track is about building bridges and putting differences aside.
It also shows that Ozuna and Gims should team up more, with the former’s silky vocals blending well with Gims’s uncompromising booming tenor.
RedOne, once again, shows his pedigree as producer on this track, another intoxicating mix of Latin pop, Afro-pop and Khaleeji sounds.
Whether heard in a stadium or a club, Arhbo is a winner.
‘Hayya Hayya’ (Better Together) featuring Davido, Trinidad Cardona and Aisha
Released in April, the first World Cup anthem is a lovely fusion of styles and cultures.
Qatari singer Aisha teams up with Nigerian Afro-pop star Davido and US singer Trinidad Cardona for this breezy ode to unity.
Powered by Khaleeji percussion and a reggae groove, all singers put in a charismatic performance.
More than the rousing chorus, Hayya Hayya (Better Together) has the kind of catchy melody that will stick in our heads — for better or worse — during the tournament.
The music video also packs a strong local flavour with scenes shot in the Qatari desert and on the Doha corniche.
World Cup anthems, who sang it best? From Shakira to Ricky Martin — in pictures
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Balqees recorded 'Light the Sky' for the Qatar tournament, with the song also featuring Nora Fatehi, Rahma Riad, Manal and RedOne. AFP -
World Cup 2022's latest single 'Tukoh Taka' featuring rapper Nicki Minaj, Colombian singer Maluma and Lebanese artist Myriam Fares blends the artists' respective styles and features lyrics in English, Spanish and Arabic. -
French rapper Gims, left, performs one of the official songs for the Qatar World Cup ‘Arhbo’, with Puerto Rican reggae star Ozuna. AFP -
Nigerian-American singer Davido and American singer Trinidad Cardona released ‘Hayya Hayya (Better Together)' for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The song also features Qatari singer Aisha. AFP -
American singer Nicky Jam released 'Live It Up' with Will Smith and Era Istrefi for the 2018 tournament in Russia. AFP -
Moroccan singer Samira Said sang 'Allez Lmgharba' for the 2018 World Cup. AFP -
Moroccan singer Ahmed Chawki recorded 'Time of Our Lives' for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Photo: Albert Farran -
It was time for Africa and Shakira's chance at World Cup glory. Her soundtrack 'Waka Waka' for the South Africa tournament in 2010 is up there with the very best. AFP -
Anastacia sang the forgettable 'Boom' for the 2002 World Cup. AFP -
Daryl Hall performed 'Gloryland' for the 1996 World Cup in the US. AFP -
'The Cup of Life' by Ricky Martin is considered one of the greatest World Cup songs. He recorded it for the 1998 tournament in France. AFP
