World Cup Anthems: From Fat Les to Belle & Sebastian

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, featuring 48 teams across three host nations and 16 stadiums for 104 matches over 39 days, is criticized for its scale. The article explores the tradition of World Cup songs, dividing them into official anthems, pop group efforts, and fan-made chants. FIFA's official album via FIFA Sound is described as saccharine globo-pop. Notable songs include The Lightning Seeds' "Three Lions" (Euro 1996) with comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner, New Order's "World in Motion" (1990) featuring John Barnes, the 1994 German team's Village People collaboration, Shakira's "Waka-Waka" (2010), K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" (originally about Somalia, re-tooled by Coca-Cola), and Belle & Sebastian's "It Only Takes One Lion" for Scotland. The author, Robert Bound, highlights Fat Les's "Vindaloo" (Alex James, Damien Hirst, Keith Allen) as a pinnacle of idiot-savant patriotism. The piece argues that the silly, patriotic anthems are essential to the World Cup experience.