What makes a great song for the World Cup

From the immortal melody "Un'estate Italiana" of the 1990s summer in Italy to the global attraction of "Waka Waka" in 2010, music always has an extremely strong bond with the round ball. So, what are the core elements to make a banger - a classic league song that lives forever in the hearts of fans?

Simple and easy to sing along

The first and most important factor when composing a perfect football song is simplicity. According to pop singer and MC Mark Rhodes, author of the charity single "Sing It Everybody" for the 2026 World Cup, the key to a catchy melody is to keep everything simple.

Regarding lyrics, they need to be extremely easy to memorize and easy to sing. This allows fans to immediately approach and harmonize with each other.

Besides, the rhythm must be loud and strong enough for the crowd to dance and move to the music. Music veteran Dave Philpot agrees that the best football songs, similar to the most successful Pop songs, tend to simplify the structure so that everyone can sing along.

Simplicity creates a wonderful function in the stands, which is cohesion. When tens of thousands of strangers sing the same melody, a strong sense of connection will be established, turning the crowd into a unified bloc. The bigger goal of singing in football from ancient times to now has always been to help fans feel that they are part of something greater than themselves.

National identity, globality and reception

Another interesting aspect of World Cup music writing is the difference between a national song and a global-scale song. For a song representing a specific country - like "Three Lions '98" of England - it is imperative to reflect the identity and psychology of that country. The lyrics are authentic, originating from the perspective and desire of the cheerleaders themselves, creating a long-lasting legacy for the work.

Conversely, global songs like Shakira's "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" or "Dai Dai" (World Cup 2026) - Shakira combined with Burna Boy and Ed Sheeran, need a more extensive structure. They often combine multicultural music elements, honoring football legends to create empathy around the world.

Whether it is an official song authorized by FIFA or a song ordered by federations, a football song's life or death completely depends on the reception of fans. Sometimes, unofficial songs are the works that go deepest into people's hearts and are tightly stitched into their memories by fans through each tournament.

Advice for writing

For those who want to write their own football song, the process suggested by experts is to focus on writing the melody first to shape the energy for the song. Then, divide the song into small parts, using each part to tell a separate, personal and true story about your love for the round ball.

The harmonious combination of simple lyrics, vibrant melodies, cultural identity and above all sincere emotions connecting millions of hearts will be the perfect formula to create a timeless wonderful World Cup song.