NEW YORK (AP) — What makes it memorable? world cup national anthem? Is it the song that best reflects the host country? Is it a global banger that incorporates multiple languages and genres? Or should we simply focus on the chorus above all else?
There are arguments to be made for each, or perhaps all. To get to the bottom of the story ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, The Associated Press asked several performers who were responsible for past and present World Cup songs. That’s the list that includes Shakira – along with who Afrobeats star Burna Boy; In charge of the official anthem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, “Daidai” So are Colombian singers J Balvin, Wyclef Jean and newcomer Nora Fatehi.
Shakira unites cultures
Before “Dai Dai”, The Colombian superstar co-wrote and performed “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” featuring Freshly Ground, the official anthem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
“Soccer brings together so many cultures and people from all walks of life,” she told The Associated Press. “The big responsibility of creating a World Cup song is that you have to create a song that expresses people’s feelings, emotions and passion.”
“So you have to write that song knowing that it has to be global in a way. It has to encompass so many cultures and express so many things in one song,” Shakira continued. “In a way, it’s helped me make those songs in the past.”
But beyond those conceptual ideas, Shakira also has some concrete sonic suggestions.
“I feel like a good World Cup song definitely needs to have a rhythm. It has to be rhythmic. It has to be something that people want to dance to. And it has to be the national anthem. It has to be something that people want to sing in unison and sing it at the top of their lungs. It also has that kind of energy,” she says. “It’s a must.”
J Balvin claims the hook
Colombian singer J Balvin one quarter of Coca-Cola official song A reimagining of Van Halen’s “Jump” for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. drummer Travis Barker; Pop/R&B singer Amber Mark and guitarist Steve Vai. He says any song, not just a World Cup anthem, needs to immediately captivate the listener.
J Balvin arrives at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 1, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
“Nowadays, music and any kind of music, it doesn’t matter whether it’s the World Cup or reggaeton or hip-hop (songs). You know, people’s attention spans are only about five seconds, and that’s the reality. I’m not criticizing. You just have to do it with love,” he says.
But specifically the World Cup anthem? It should be comparable to the intensity of a soccer match. “Soccer brings us together through all the highs and lows,” he says. “All these different emotions happen in one game.” The songs should have the same energy.
Newcomer Nora Fatehi believes World Cup anthems are for winners
Canadian Moroccan singer-songwriter Nora Fatehi is featured on the official album of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with her collaboration “Siir, Siir” with French artist Vegedream and Bangladeshi-American DJ Sanjoy.
“We need a great beat because we’re here to dance and we need to celebrate,” she says of the World Cup anthem.
Key elements of Nora Fatehi’s World Cup songs: rhythm, celebration, and atmosphere of victory (June 11)
But beyond that, Fatih Best known for his work in Bollywood films, Hearing this, he says, “makes you feel like you can win, or you can win, or you’ve won. That’s the feeling you need to evoke.”
Of “Siir, Siir,” she says, “What we were looking for was to find a feeling. So the moment you hear that song, it should make you feel like you’ve conquered the world. It should be motivating. It should be aspirational. That’s what it should feel like.”
Wyclef Jean seeks unity
Wyclef Jean Fugees does multiple hyphenation. He co-wrote and performed “Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way)” with guitar guru Santana for the 2014 FIFA World Cup held in Brazil. Late EDM icon Avicii And Alexandre Pires, a singer-songwriter beloved in Brazil.
“What about the top line? It has to be something that excites the stadium,” Gene says. “You literally have to feel the whole stadium shaking.” Otherwise, the national anthem won’t play.
“I don’t know of any World Cup songs that don’t have great rhythm and great movement,” he says.
Singer and activist Wyclef Jean performs after the WNBA basketball game between the Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky on May 21, 2023 in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
Although his songs feature performers from many countries, including Brazil, Sweden, Haiti, Mexico and the United States, Gene says, “I don’t necessarily think it takes five different artists to create a global anthem.”
“People are drawn to the culture, whether they come from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas, any part of the world, the Caribbean,” he says. “And what I love most about the World Cup is that before the language, there’s an energy and an atmosphere. It has nothing to do with language.”
A good hook, a strong melody that everyone can sing along to, that’s what’s important.
However, “Dar um Jeito” carries a strong message of unity, further enhancing its anthemic nature. “Resilience is such an important word,” he says of the song’s message. Jean says the work was written for “boys and girls all over the world,” especially boys and girls in rural areas.
The purpose is bob marley style On “Get Up, Stand Up,” he says, “The message of the song isn’t preachy, it’s a message of hope.” “If you keep fighting the good fight, you’ll get to that stadium. And no one will stop you.”
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
