EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the United States was revealed May 15, with FIFA stalwart Shakira returning to the fold once again to provide the vibe-setting musical accompaniment for this summer's showcase tournament.The Colombian megastar is joined by Nigerian artist Burna Boy on a song called "Dai Dai," which was written in conjunction with none other than ... Ed Sheeran. Sure. That tracks. Anyway, the official 2026 World Cup song is a cheerful, up-tempo ditty with a title taken from an Italian expression used to help encourage a person or team (similar to ole in Spanish, allez in French, and "just lump it into the box" in English).Shakira first teased "Dai Dai" with a short clip, posted on social media, in which the singer performed the song at Brazil's iconic Maracan� Stadium backed by a phalanx of backing dancers. With fans suitably hyped, the song was given a full release shortly thereafter."Dai Dai" becomes only the 10th song to be given full World Cup song credentials by FIFA, which only began officially adopting specific songs to soundtrack specific World Cups when they selected an Italian language power ballad as their tune of choice for Italia '90.It's fair to say that FIFA haven't been particularly savvy or on trend when appointing their World Cup songs and artists during the intervening years, either; many anthems have faded from memory entirely after failing to land with fans. That said, there are a couple of gems worth revisiting, so here are all 10 songs, ranked from worst to best.- World Cup kit ranking: Which teams will look best in 2026?- 2026 World Cup injuries tracker: Which players are out?- World Cup kits for pets! Now you can dress your dog like Messi10. Nicky Jam feat. Will Smith & Era Istrefi -- "Live It Up" (2018)Bottom of the pile is this slice of hopelessly generic dross from the 2018 edition. With honking brass and a relentless, bouncy drum beat, "Live It Up" is vaguely Latin in presentation despite the 2018 tournament being held in Russia.The lyrics are bland and don't really seem to have any connection to the sport in the slightest, and the incongruous arrival of Will Smith halfway through does little to move the dial. This tune was a total non-entity during the tournament, and it quickly fizzled out of the collective consciousness shortly thereafter.9. Trinidad Cardona, Davido & Aisha -- "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)" (2022)Produced by pop powerhouse RedOne, "Hayya Hayya" is built on a lilting reggae beat that doesn't exactly conjure images of the 2022 host nation, Qatar. The title loosely translates from Arabic into English as "Let's go, let's go!" and much like the 2018 anthem, the lyrics don't contain a single direct reference to football or the World Cup -- just a jumble of perfunctory lines about the importance of partying together, and doing it seemingly ... forever.It's less obnoxious than "Live It Up," but it's so flimsy as a song that it's barely there at all. However, it's worth noting that while "Hayya Hayya" failed to chart in most countries, it did successfully hit No. 1 in Suriname for a week or two over the summer. You'll never sing that, Nicky Jam.8. Gianna Nannini & Edoardo Bennato -- "Un'estate Italiana" (1990)Composed by legendary electronic pioneer Giorgio Moroder and performed by Italian musicians Gianna Nannini and Edoardo Bennato, Un'estate Italiana ("An Italian Summer") was the first song ever to be anointed by FIFA as the official World Cup anthem ahead of Italia '90. All the hallmarks are there, from rousing arrangements to heartfelt, rasping vocals -- but alas, the song takes an eternity to get going before plateauing into a sprawling, hookless dirge.The Italian original went to No. 1 in the Italian charts, while Spanish and English versions were also recorded to ensure maximum appeal. But unfortunately for Moroder, "An Italian Summer" was entirely eclipsed by Luciano Pavarotti's stirring rendition of "Nessun Dorma," which many fans remember as the abiding theme song of the tournament after it was used by the BBC to soundtrack their television coverage in the United Kingdom.7. Il Divo & Toni Braxton -- "The Time Of Our Lives" (2006)Taken from the official album of the 2006 World Cup (which contains a truly baffling mix of classic pop hits from some of the biggest recording artists in history), the official anthem itself is a slow, wistful ballad that sees Braxton and pop-opera group Il Divo drearily crooning over the top of each other about dreams, destiny and glory. It's rare to find a song so inoffensively dull that you actively forget about it while listening to it, and yet here we are.6. Anastacia -- "Boom" (2002)Another World Cup song we have zero memory of, "Boom" served as the official song for the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan. Recorded and released right in the middle of Anastacia's pop heyday, the song actually begins with a snippet of the U.S. singer's most recognizable hit ("One Day In Your Life") just to whet the appetite before the inoffensive tune really kicks in."Boom" is a moderately pumping anthem with minimal lyrical content that takes in all the usual cliches about striving to succeed, working hard and chasing your dreams. Perhaps of more interest is the video, in which a sequence of seemingly random people are beamed up by aliens.We do not recall the song featuring particularly prominently at the 2002 World Cup, but it did manage to muster a smattering of top 10s in charts across Europe, enjoying a modicum of popularity in Italy. However, we think it's reasonable to say that it made little lasting impact beyond that; honestly, we're not even sure if Anastacia herself would remember it.5. Shakira & Burna Boy -- "Dai Dai" (2026)After bringing in Shakira to perform their official song at a previous World Cup (more on that later), it's eerily familiar stuff here as FIFA return to the well and rope for 2026. "Dai Dai" is unfortunately something of a pale imitation of the Colombian pop megastar's finest footballing fare.It's repetitive and a bit one-paced, but at least it's relatively spirited and upbeat. We can't imagine we're going to hear it being sung with gusto on the terraces in Mexico, Canada and/or the United States this summer, but it's far from being the worst World Cup song ever committed to vinyl.4. Pitbull & Jennifer Lopez -- "We Are One (Ole Ola)" (2014)With the World Cup being held in Brazil, it was mandatory that the official anthem be given a Carnival-lite treatment. As such, Pitbull and JLo turned up to warble on about flags, passion and global kinship over pounding drums, whistles and other such cliches.Despite having no less than nine songwriters (and four producers) involved, the otherwise lively ditty really falls down when it comes to the lyrics, which are as dire and hackneyed as you might imagine ("It's your world, my world, our world today/And we invite the whole world, whole world to play"), "We Are One" was also widely criticized in Brazil for being ... well, not particularly Brazilian.3. Daryl Hall & Sounds of Blackness -- "Gloryland" (1994)Using a traditional hymn as a base, the lyrics were written and overlaid by Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates fame) to create "Gloryland" for the 1994 World Cup in the United States. "Gloryland" is absolutely awash with gospel choirs, emotive synths and little trills of saxophone here and there, which led to it being criticized by some at the time for being overly mawkish and schmaltzy.However, Hall's committed lead performance just about carries the song, while the supporting musicianship and backing vocals provided by Sound of Blackness lend a spiritual edge to proceedings. It's big, patriotic, overtly bombastic and glacially slow -- and yet, against all odds, we still get a tingle from it -- mainly because it reminds us of Diana Ross's diabolical missed penalty during the opening ceremony.2. Ricky Martin -- "La Copa de la Vida" (1998)An underrated foot-tapper from France 1998 that saw Ricky Martin tackle the World Cup anthem while in his "Livin' La Vida Loca" pomp. Long before it became de rigueur for all FIFA-approved productions, the Latin shuffle blueprint is used here to full effect as piercing whistles and samba rhythms underpin a song about striving for greatness and grasping the cup of life.La Copa de la Vida really did lay down the framework for so many World Cup songs that have followed, and it did so with a memorable brass hook, a big chorus and a large slice of camp fun. Ole ole ole, indeed.1. Shakira -- "Waka Waka" (2010)The 2010 World Cup was memorable for a few reasons: the antics of Luis Surez against Ghana, the entire France team imploding, the bloodthirsty final between Netherlands and Spain, and the interminable buzz of the vuvuzelas heard throughout.Thankfully, the monotone trumpeting that accompanied each and every match wasn't the only lasting musical legacy created in South Africa that summer. Indeed, we were also given "Waka Waka." Inspired by the sounds and beats of afro-pop, Shakira co-wrote a classic that has since become something of an anthem not only for the 2010 tournament, but for the World Cup in general.While some were annoyed that a local artist didn't get to perform the South African World Cup song, "Waka Waka" went down well by virtue of being an energetic, cheerful jaunt that mixed elements of rhumba, Soca and Cameroonian makossa music.It is undoubtedly the catchiest World Cup anthem ever produced -- so much so in fact, that we're entirely willing to overlook the fairly bland English lyrics. It might be up against some incredibly lean competition, but you simply can't convince us that "Waka Waka" is anything other than the best official World Cup song there is, the best there was and the best there will ever be.Honorable mentionsThere have only been 10 official World Cup songs on record thus far, but that hasn't prevented several nonofficial tunes from becoming synonymous with various tournaments down through the years.And so we doff our caps to a few of those great, non-FIFA-sanctioned bangers that have become all-time unofficial World Cup anthems regardless.New Order -- "World in Motion" (1990)Performed along with six members of the England national team, "World in Motion" remains the only New Order single to reach No. 1 in the UK. It has attained anthemic status since first being released to accompany the Three Lions' 1990 World Cup campaign, with John Barnes' iconic rap -- "You've got to hold and give, but do it at the right time" -- also attaining cult prestige in its own right. Can you just imagine if New Order had gone with Peter Beardsley instead?Dario G -- "Carnaval de Paris" (1998)Recorded with the 1998 World Cup in France in mind, Dario G's instrumental dance hit was never officially tied to the tournament, but it became synonymous nevertheless. Rather than thumping house samples, the tune instead revolves around a walloping trumpet line interspersed with wisps of mournful Gallic accordion to fantastic effect. Not bad for a lad from Crewe.K'Naan -- "Wavin' Flag" (2010)With a ridiculously catchy melody and an easy singalong chorus, all the elements were in place to make "Wavin' Flag" an instant smash when it was promoted by Coca-Cola as the unofficial song of the 2010 World Cup. It proved to be a chart smash all around the world and has since become one of the most enduring World Cup-adjacent tunes.
