As the world’s biggest soccer tournament unfolded across North America this summer, fans turned to Spotify to soundtrack every match. A record-breaking official anthem, fan-adopted favorites, and a surge in playlist creation made the 2026 tournament the most musical—and most streamed—yet. Here’s what you need to know about the music behind the game.
Spain won, but Shakira stayed undefeated
Is it really a soccer summer without Shakira? Among the tournament’s official songs, “Dai Dai” by Shakira and Burna Boy led the way, generating more than 138 million streams on Spotify—the most ever for an official song. That’s more than six times the streams of the most-played official track in 2022, which of course is also Shakira’s: “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” at 22 million. The event also introduced millions of listeners to tournament music, with nearly 50 million fans streaming an official song or anthem on Spotify for the first time.
Everyone sang their team’s song
Fans also rallied around their own team’s anthems—both official and unofficial—with underdogs and perennial contenders alike driving major streaming surges:
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- Paraguay: “Soy Albirrojo” by Los Albirrojos saw the tournament’s biggest lift among team anthems, up 1,170% globally.
- Norway: “Alt For Norge” by Drillos and Jørn Lande rose 1,005% globally as the team’s run captured fans’ attention.
- Mexico: Fans boosted “Cielito Lindo” by 540% globally.
- England: Oasis’ “Wonderwall,” which fans sang to the team after wins, saw U.K. streams rise 306% above average on July 6 before reaching No. 2 on Spotify’s Global Chart on July 12. That same day, U.K. streams of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude”—a tribute to England superstar Jude Bellingham—were up 282% versus average.
- United States: On July 1, when a confident U.S. team dispatched Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance to the quarterfinals, their newly-adoped jam—John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”—saw stateside streams jump 100% above average on July 1.
Playlists scored
Beyond individual songs, fans created a record-breaking 219,000 tournament-themed playlists during the event, nearly triple the total from 2022. More than 181,000 listeners created a soccer-themed playlist for the first time. Together those playlists generated more than 172 million streams worldwide, compared with 46 million in 2022.
The final matched up legends—and musical superstars
As Spain and Argentina advanced to the final, fans rallied behind both teams with music. Listeners embraced Spanish hits like ROSALÍA’s “DESPECHÁ” and Aitana’s “SUPERESTRELLA,” while streams of Argentina’s signature team track, La T y La M’s “Pa’ la Selección,” jumped more than 270% globally and 386% among listeners in Argentina.
Hit play on Spotify’s Football Anthems playlist for more tournament tracks and fan favorites.
Unless otherwise noted, data reflects activity through July 14, 2026.
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