How Music Became the Second Language of the FIFA World Cup

For the FIFA World Cup jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, FIFA has released a special double album featuring 18 songs. The first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, is noted for “Uruguayos Campeones,” sung by Jose Pepino Ministeri, which is regarded as the tournament’s first official song. FIFA officially began its World Cup music journey in 1962 with the Chile World Cup, introducing the iconic “El Rock del Mundial” as the official anthem. Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter once remarked, “There are only two languages in the world — football and music.” This statement resonates even more deeply during the World Cup.

Each World Cup celebration sees music uniting people from diverse cultures and countries into a single rhythm. The tournament uses music to promote itself, energize the atmosphere, and create a unique environment. For this reason, many consider music the World Cup’s second language.

The influence of music is also evident in the brevity of official speeches during the opening ceremonies, where the main highlight is the performance of the “theme song.” Music has thus become a major medium for spreading football culture and humanitarian values worldwide. Additionally, music complements the sport itself. Consider the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” Released 16 years ago, the song by Colombian pop star Shakira has been streamed more than 4.5 billion times on YouTube alone. Since the event is jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, these countries’ cultures and artists receive particular emphasis.

This year’s World Cup music edition is the largest and most special in history. FIFA has produced a double album with 18 tracks blending genres and featuring prominent artists from many countries. For instance, Shakira collaborates with Nigeria’s Burna Boy on the song “Dai Dai.” This marks her second partnership on a FIFA anthem. Other notable entries include “Lighter” by American Jelly Roll and Mexico’s Carin Leon; “Illuminate” by Canada’s Jessie Reyes and Palestinian singer Eliana; “Game Time” by American rapper Future and South African vocalist Tiyla; and the global anthem “Desire” by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger.

The diverse locations of matches in different countries and cities likely contribute to the greater musical variety this year. Whereas early World Cup songs were typically sung by a single artist in one language, today’s anthems showcase artists from various countries and cultures, reflecting a broader multicultural representation.