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:
Paraguay: “Soy Albirrojo” by Los Albirrojos saw the tournament’s biggest lift among team anthems, up 1,170% globally.
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.
Adam Friedland will gladly admit that he doesn’t quite have the résumé of your typical sports commentator. Or, as he puts it, “I have absolutely no qualifications whatsoever.” But as fans of the host of The Adam Friedland Show know, the comedian is a longtime sports fan, and well-versed in the ancient art of cracking jokes while watching the game.
So after announcing last month that he was bringing his podcast to Spotify, Adam also teamed up with The Ringer on a new podcast miniseries, The Adam Friedland Show Presents: The Beautiful Pod, covering an enormous summer of soccer, including the world’s biggest tournament.
He’s meeting a clear need: soccer podcast listening in the U.S. is up nearly 400% since the tournament kicked off in June. And while The Adam Friedland Show has regularly appeared on Spotify’s U.S. Comedy podcast chart throughout 2026, it climbed as high as No. 14 on that ranking this summer.
Ahead of the tournament semifinals, For the Record caught up with Adam to talk about his unexpected second career as a sports analyst, the perils of instant replay, and the magic of Lionel Messi.
People who know you know that you’re a sports fan, but hosting a soccer podcast may not have been the most obvious thing to folks who haven’t followed your career.
I’ve always been interested in doing something like this. Like, what do you do when you watch sports? You make jokes. It’s the most obvious thing in the world to me. This is kind of a facsimile of what I’ve been doing my whole life.
So how have you found being a sports pundit?
Great. I mean, I’m the only one who has the right opinions, obviously.
You’ve been doing this for about a month now. Do you have more, less, or the same amount of respect for, like, sports talking heads?
I’ve always had the most respect for them, out of anyone in the media. So now that I’ve been in their ranks, I have even more. How daft could I be to think I could be Colin Cowherd? To think I could just waltz in there and be Stephen A. Smith. It’s been an utter failure and a disaster. It’s a lesson in humility, mostly.
What do you learn from getting into the ring with somebody like [sports talk host] Nick Wright? That guy’s a machine.
Nah, it’s not the ring. For him, it’s serious. For me, it’s like I’m cosplaying, so it’s funny. And I think that’s been my advantage in doing the talk show forever. When I talk to people about themselves, their interests, et cetera, for them, they’re defining something that’s incredibly real. For me, I’m approaching things as an outsider. I think I have an inherent advantage seeing things from another perspective.
Has the fact that you’re doing the podcast changed how you’re watching the games at all?
Well, now I have an excuse—now my fiancée can’t tell me that I can’t watch eight hours a day of sports.
Practically, how are you watching? Are you out at a bar with friends? Are you at home? Do you need to lock in to go pundit mode?
No, no, it’s not like that. It’s not that serious. I mean, I’m a fraud. I don’t know if you’ve put that together yet, but I have absolutely no qualifications whatsoever. I’m kind of just lying my way into jobs. It’s like when you apply for a job and then you just figure it out on YouTube. Like, “Yeah, of course I know how to code.”
Can I get your thoughts on the use of instant replay in soccer—and, really, anywhere else?
Americans maybe need to stop watching soccer. The rules are being applied! We’re seeing Messi have perhaps his historic best individual run, and people are trying to make it into some sort of James Bond conspiracy theory. It’s like, No, no, just enjoy the game. Yeah, if someone’s offside, it shouldn’t be a goal. And obviously they should make it faster. But I’ve seen a lot of casuals expressing contempt and outrage for this, and I’m like, do you watch the NFL? It’s the same thing!
Similarly, where are we on the hydration break as a concept?
Oh, I mean, it’s a scam. They’ve done it to sell some ads. But one of the cool things about it is—yeah, you obviously need a hydration break if you’re playing in Miami in July, but it’s also given the smaller teams a little bit of an edge, especially in the earlier rounds. Instead of surviving 45 minutes in hell, you have to survive about 20 minutes, and then you can regroup.
They certainly don’t need it if they’re playing indoors at 72 degrees. But I’ve accepted it. What matters is that it’s been fun and the games have been good, and the stars have been playing really well. We have four really good teams in the semifinals. I’m having a blast.
We do have these four world-beating teams left in the semis. Is that satisfying to you, or do you wish there was like a little bit more underdog energy left in the tournament?
No, it’s very satisfying to me. You want to see the best players! Like, I’m sorry—you want to see the best teams. You’re still getting drama. The Cape Verde match [against Argentina], like, was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
This has really been a superstar’s tournament. Who has captured that for you?
Well, I’ve watched Messi for, like—it’s been 22 years now. And it’s pretty cool. This is the culmination of his story, and he’s still so good. It’s awesome.
Seeing how deliberate he is—the way he spends so much of the match walking around—is incredible. In your life and career, what will be your equivalent of Messi just sort of strolling around?
My career is pretty much that, with the exception of the 15 seconds of chaos that he causes and then the ball being in the back of the net. I’ve got the strolling part down to an art, I would say.
Stream The Adam Friedland Show on Spotify, and catch new episodes of The Beautiful Pod throughout the tournament.
Goal-hunting strikers, ball-stopping defenders, and…Shakira? That’s right: With the world’s biggest football tournament well underway, we’re reminded that the stars lighting up the pitch this summer include some of the most talented players on the planet, along with one particular hitmaker from Colombia.
It’s not a football summer if Shakira isn’t involved—and Spotify has the data to back it up.
Shakira’s got plenty of history with football’s grandest stage. In 2006, she closed the all-world tournament in Berlin with a performance of “Hips Don’t Lie.” That song’s streams are up 61.6% during this year’s contest.
In 2010, with the football world focused on South Africa, Shakira released “Waka Waka.” It, too, hasn’t gone anywhere since: Spotify listeners were responsible for a staggering 246% increase in streams of the song the day after this year’s tournament began, and streams of the track have been up more than 128% since things kicked off last month. ¡Golazo!
“La La La,” released in 2014, continued the trend in Brazil, and came complete with a star-studded music video featuring legends like Lionel Messi and Neymar. Streams of “La La La” are up a sizable 124.2% this year.
Not to be outdone this year, Shakira teamed up with Burna Boy for “Dai Dai” as the tournament touched down on North American soil. The Afrobeats-indebted song has lyrics in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and Japanese, and shouts out football heroes like Pelé, David Beckham, and Mohamed Salah. Naturally, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, and Christian Pulisic all show up in the accompanying video. (Shakira, certified ball-knower, tips her cap in the lyrics to Andrés Iniesta and Carlos Valderrama, too.) In expected Shakira-football synergy, “Dai Dai” streams are up 136%.
Given all that, you’d be forgiven for thinking just about every football fan on earth knows Shakira. And plenty do, with 35 million playlists globally including one of her four football-related tracks.
But she’s breaking new ground, too: 15% of folks who’ve “Waka Waka” over the past three months are new Shakira listeners. More than a quarter of listeners to the song are under 25 years old. And—hard as it may be to believe—one of every seven people streaming the song today had never listened to Shakira before.
We won’t crown a world champion on the pitch until later this summer. But it’s clear that we can already consider Shakira and her fans major winners: Her overall catalog’s streams are up 21.6% during the tournament so far. And just this week she hit a major milestone, becoming the first female Latin artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
If there’s ever an all-time starting 11 for football-minded musicians, you can bet Shakira’s leading the squad.
Since we announced our global partnership with FC Barcelona in 2022, we’ve been finding new ways to unite the worlds of music and football—amplifying artists, connecting fans, and making the matchday experience even more memorable.
This summer, we brought that vision to life in South Korea for the very first time. As part of FC Barcelona’s 2025 Asia Tour, we teamed up with K-Pop sensation ITZY for a localized campaign that put Korean creativity front and center.
With friendly matches in Seoul and Daegu as the backdrop, our first Korea activation under the Spotify x FC Barcelona partnership gave us the perfect opportunity to celebrate the passion of Korean fans through music and sport.
“Bringing Spotify’s partnership with FC Barcelona to Korea is a powerful moment,” said Marc Hazan, Vice President, Partnerships and Marketing, Spotify. “We’re proud to feature ITZY as a part of this collaboration, which celebrates Korean creativity on a global stage and reflects our mission to connect artists and fans in unforgettable ways.”
“South Korea has long been home to some of the most passionate football and music fans in the world,” said Marc Bruix, Director of Partnerships, FC Barcelona. “Through this special partnership with Spotify, we’re excited to bring our global vision to life in a way that connects with local culture. Partnering with ITZY, a group that represents the vibrancy and global appeal of Korean music, perfectly reflects our shared ambition to reach new audiences and create unforgettable moments.”
“We had such a great time being part of this campaign,” said the members of ITZY. “It was a fun opportunity to show how music and football can come together to create something truly exciting for fans everywhere.”
ITZY-curated playlists
We invited ITZY to take over Barça on Tour: Korea 2025, curating 30 tracks—including 10 of their own and 20 warm-up picks—to get fans hyped for kickoff. The playlist is available globally on Spotify, with ITZY on the cover sporting official FC Barcelona jerseys.
To keep the momentum going, they’re also taking over WOR K OUT—Korea’s No. 1 workout playlist on Spotify, with more than 1.3M followers—starting August 9. It’s packed with their favorite tracks to keep post-game energy high.
Matchday moments
To amplify the spirit of the occasion, Spotify and FC Barcelona produced exclusive content featuring a special meet-and-greet between ITZY and Barça players at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The interactive footage was shared across socials, bringing fans even closer to this unique moment.
Pitch-side presence
During the Seoul match, fans saw Spotify branding across LED boards, goal-line signage, and press backdrops, and they’ll be seeing more of it in Daegu. We also took over one of Seoul’s most iconic digital displays, Gangnam Media Sync, to share the campaign with the city.
From jersey takeovers with global superstars like Travis Scott, Coldplay, KAROL G, The Rolling Stones, ROSALÍA, and Drake to localized cultural campaigns like this one with ITZY, our partnership with FC Barcelona continues to turn football into a creative canvas that celebrates artists and the fans who love them.
This summer, as the energy builds for one of the biggest moments in women’s football, we’re launching “Our Game, Our Sound,” a Europe-wide social impact campaign that spotlights the powerful connection between music, football, and community. The initiative is designed to foster belonging, joy, and mental well-being for Gen Z women, using Spotify’s cultural reach to create meaningful, connection-driven experiences.
The ultimate playlist
At the heart of “Our Game, Our Sound” is a new playlist co-curated by some of the most exciting names in European football. Global stars like Aggie Beever-Jones, Jess Park, Andrea Medina, and Laura Giuliani have selected the tracks that soundtrack their most important social moments. These are the songs that fill the locker room, the tour bus, and all the times at home and away that bring them together as a team. The playlist is an invitation for fans to find and celebrate their own communities this summer.
We’ve also partnered with Footballco and INDIVISA to cocreate and amplify content around the playlist. Through first-person narratives, short-form videos, and Instagram stories, the players will share authentic moments, connecting the dots between the music and their real-life experiences as fans and athletes.
Spotify está listo para aumentar la diversión dentro y fuera de la cancha como partner de audio oficial de la Américas Kings League Santander. Anteriormente nos aliamos con Kings League y Queens League España, y esta nueva alianza ampliará el contenido exclusivo que estamos creando para los fans del fútbol de todo el mundo.
Kings League Santander fue fundada en 2023 por Grupo Kosmos y el exdefensa del Barcelona y España Gerard Piqué. El juego consiste en fútbol siete, además mezcla elementos del fútbol competitivo con la suerte y el entretenimiento. Las jornadas capturaron millones de visitas de fans a quienes les encantó el formato creativo.
Ahora, la liga llega a Latinoamérica y, con el apoyo de Spotify, los fans podrán conectar con sus equipos favoritos, tanto dentro como fuera del campo.
La experiencia en Spotify
Spotify es la única plataforma de streaming de audio donde los usuarios pueden descubrir la música favorita de los presidentes de clubes, incluidos Chicharito (Olimpo United), Germán Garmendia (Real Titan), WestCol y Arcángel (West Santos FC), Donato (Los Chamos FC), Jero Freixas (Muchachos FC). ), Los Futbolitos y Alofoke (Galácticos del Caribe), entre otros.
Dentro del hub de Spotify de la Américas Kings League Santander, los fans podrán escuchar la playlist oficial de la competencia, que se actualizará a medida en que avancen las jornadas. Además, cada uno de los 12 clubes tendrá su propia playlist. Este hub será el mejor lugar para que los aficionados se preparen para los partidos de cada semana.
Spotify en la cancha
Para esta nueva alianza, Spotify desempeñará un papel clave gracias al arma secreta de Spotify. Al inicio de cada partido, los entrenadores de cada equipo sacarán una carta aleatoria de un maletín con muchas opciones que les pondrán en ventaja o desventaja, dependiendo de su suerte. Esta Arma Secreta de Spotify que va desde un shootout a favor, la expulsión de un rival por 4 minutos, hasta un gol doble.
Es posible que los partidos aún no hayan comenzado, pero puedes prepararte ahora para la Kings League Santander visitando nuestro hub con la playlist oficial y también playlists para todo los equipos de la competencia.
Spotify is ready to amp up the fun on and off the pitch as the official audio partner of the Americas Kings League Santander. We’ve previously partnered with Kings League and Queens League Spain, and this new partnership will expand on the exclusive content we’re creating for football fans around the world.
Kings League Santander was founded in 2023 by Grupo Kosmos and former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Piqué. Gameplay consists of seven-a-side football, as well as elements of competitive football mixed with luck and entertainment. Games captured millions of views from fans who loved the creative format.
Now the league is coming to Latin America and, with Spotify’s support, fans will be able to connect more with their favorite teams both off and on the field.
On-platform play
Spotify is the only audio-streaming platform where users can discover music favorites from club presidents including Chicharito (Olimpo United), Germán Garmendia (Real Titan), WestCol and Arcángel (West Santos FC), Donato (Los Chamos FC), Jero Freixas (Muchachos FC), Los Futbolitos, and Alofoke (Galácticos del Caribe), among others.
Within Spotify’s Americas Kings League Santander on-platform hub, fans will be able to listen to the official competition playlist, which will be updated as the rounds progress. Additionally, each of the 12 clubs will have its own playlist. The hub is a fan’s top companion as they prepare for the matches every week.
On-field fun
For this new collaboration, Spotify will play a key role thanks to the Spotify Secret Weapon. At the start of each game, the coaches of each team will draw a random card from a briefcase with many options that put them at either an advantage or disadvantage, depending on their luck. These Spotify Secret Weapons range from a shootout in favor, the expulsion of a rival for four minutes, or a double goal.
The games may not have kicked off yet, but you can get ready now for the Kings League Santander by checking out our dedicated hubwith theofficial playlist and a playlist for each and every team in the competition, too.
In particular, Spotify has featured a number of African artists in these moments throughout our partnership. We’ve played their songs through stadium speakers, showcased their names pitch-side on LED screens during matches, and added their tracks to playlists on the official FC Barcelona page on Spotify so that fans worldwide can enjoy the exposure this partnership has offered them. With 23 million FC Barcelona fans in the Middle East and Africa, this also marked a great opportunity to bring their local talent to a grand, global stage. And now, artists like ODUMODUBLVCK, Pabi Cooper, Teni, and Ch’cco are front and center in our latest video campaign.
We also took a selection of Egyptian creators, like professional football presenter Ibrahim Fayek, on an exclusive tour to watch FC Barcelona matches.
Read on to get to know the 20 dynamic artists who have commanded the spotlight alongside FC Barcelona.
Afroto
Egypt
Since emerging on the scene in 2016, rapper Afroto has won over fans with hit singles like “Brazil” and “7ALA.”
Amir Eid
Egypt
A singer, composer, guitarist, and actor, Amir Eid is best known as the lead singer of Cairokee, one of Egypt’s top rock bands.
A-Reece
South Africa
Rapper A-Reece’s career took off with the release of his best-known single, “Mgani”; and following the release of his debut album, heaveN caN waiT: thE narroW dooR (vol.1), in 2021, his star has continued to rise.
BNXN
Nigeria
Following the release of “Spiritual,” his 2019 collaboration with Zlatan, Afro-fusion artist Bnxn (fka Buju) has gained attention for his infectious hooks, which have featured on other popular Afropop songs over the years.
Ch’cco
South Africa
After the popular choreography-infused song “Nkao Tempela” became a viral hit in 2019, Ch’cco immediately became a name to remember. Since then, he followed up with hit single “Pele Pele” and was featured on Pabi Cooper’s 2022 hit “Banyana Ke Bafana.”
CKay
Nigeria
With one of the most popular Afrobeats songs of all time, “love nwantiti (ah ah ah),” to his name, CKay is one of the Nigerian artists responsible for turning Afrobeats into a global phenomenon.
Davido
Nigeria
One of the most popular afrobeats artists in the world, Davido is referred to as “OBO” by his fans. In 2019, his smash hit “Fall” made history when it became one of the longest-charting Nigerian pop songs, and he reached new heights in 2023 with “UNAVAILABLE,” his collaboration with Musa Keys.
Essam Sasa
Egypt
One of the fastest-rising artists to come out of the region recently, Essam Sasa continues to peak on Spotify’s Egypt charts with hits like “Yalla Nedy Lely Baana Bosa.” The pop star is known for his contemporary take on traditional genres, like Shaabi music.
Fireboy DML
Nigeria
After his hit single “Scatter” was included on EA’s FIFA 21 Soundtrack, Fireboy DML quickly made a name for himself around the world. In 2022, the singer released his third studio album, Playboy, to great fanfare.
Joeboy
Nigeria
Popular among Gen Zs and millennials due to his timeless love songs, Joeboy caught everyone’s attention with his 2019 hit “Baby” and has since been able to establish himself as one of the finest voices in Afrobeats and R&B.
Lloyiso
South Africa
When Lloyiso released “Nontsikelelo” in 2018, he reminded the music industry why he placed in the top five of the popular singing competition Idols SA as a 16-year-old back in 2015. Today, the 24-year-old is a mainstay on local and international stages, opening for renowned artists such as Tamia.
Major League Djz
South Africa
Credited with amplifying the global presence of amapiano, Major League Djz are a cornerstone of South Africa’s music scene. Their popular releases, “Ndikuze” and “Shoota Moghel,” continue to dominate the dance floors from Mamelodi to Soweto.
ODUMODUBLVCK
Nigeria
Starting his music journey in Abuja, rapper ODUMODUBLVCK rose to fame with his breakthrough song “Picanto.” Earlier this year, he took over the airwaves with his hit “Declan Rice,” catching the attention of the professional footballer following its release.
Olamide
Nigeria
The success of many street pop and Afrobeats artists can be linked to Olamide, whose record label YBNL is home to like-minded artists Fireboy DML and Asake. His debut single, “Eni Duro,” propelled Olamide to stardom in 2010 and he has since become one of the most revered figures in the Nigerian music scene, most notably releasing the hit single “Infinity” withOmah Lay in 2020.
Pabi Cooper
South Africa
Also known as “Pretoria’s finest,” Pabi Cooper traded her life as an influencer and content creator for one as an artist with the release of her 2021 single “Isiphithiphithi.” One of the most recognizable amapiano artists in South Africa, she has gone on to release notable singles like “Waga Bietjie” and “Banyana Ke Bafana.”
SPINALL
Nigeria
An internationally recognized Nigerian DJ and producer, SPINALLis known for his signature hats. His collaborations with Wizkid and Mr Eazi have contributed to his growing popularity around the world.
Teni
Nigeria
Fondly referred to as Teni Makanaki by her fans, this exciting talent introduced herself to the world with her hit 2018 single “Fargin.” Since then, she has successfully challenged gender stereotypes and worked to redefine the modern image of a celebrity, allowing fans to focus on her amazing music, which includes singles like “Case” and the Davido collaboration “FOR YOU.”
Tyla
South Africa
Known as the princess of amapiano, Tyla first gained recognition in 2019 when she dropped her single “Getting Late.” The singer has enjoyed a red-hot 2023, making global waves with her hit single “Water,” which has generated over 120 million streams on Spotify to date, and starring in a RADAR Africa mini-documentary that tracks her ascent to the global spotlight.
Wizkid
Nigeria
Referred to by some as the biggest Afrobeats artist in the world, Wizkid is one of the most influential African artists of all time. He first caught the ears of fans worldwide with his 2014 single “Ojuelegba,” which earned a remix from Drake a year later. His Grammy-nominated collaboration with Tems, “Essence,” was dubbed the best song of the summer by Rolling Stone in 2020. Last year, the star released More Love, Less Ego, his fifth studio album.
Zlatan
Nigeria
Considered the pioneer of the zanku dance style popularized by his single of the same name, Zlatan Ibile shook the streets of Nigeria and has become one of the most buzzed-about artists in the country, also appearing on Chinko Ekun’s 2018 hit “Able God.”
As football fans everywhere turn their attention to the action in Australia and New Zealand for the World Cup, Spotify is here to celebrate the biggest global party of 2023.
For the first time ever, players are celebrating their sport together with EQUAL’s THE PLAYERS—our all-women football playlist that’s built by the world’s most-adored players.
“We love to bring together the worlds of music and sports,” Taj Alavi, Spotify’s VP, Global Head of Marketing, remarked. “THE PLAYERS playlist is so exciting because it involves incredible female athletes from around the world and extends our commitment to shine a spotlight on women in music.”
“There are a lot of similarities amongst the World Cup athletes and EQUAL artists; the greatest being that they all wish to experience greater equity while pursuing their passions,” explained Bel Aztiria, Spotify’s EQUAL Music Lead. “THE PLAYERS offers a new destination for soccer and music fans alike to gather and celebrate football’s return to the global stage.”
Curated by nearly 40 players—including 27 who are representing their home nations in the tournament—across 15 countries, the playlist includes selections from Alex Morgan (USA), Crystal Dunn (USA), Jess Carter (England), Laura Giuliani (Italy),Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria), Lina Magull (Germany), Remy Siemsen (Australia), Meikayla Moore (New Zealand),and Ashley Lawrence (Canada). Featuring more than 120 tracks by women artists, THE PLAYERS is a true representation of women’s football around the world.
“Growing up I always wondered what my favorite athletes listened to while preparing for a major competition,” Ashley Lawrence said. “It’s so cool to be able to collaborate on a playlist with female athletes across the globe spanning all levels. This initiative is showing the importance of highlighting the achievements of women both in sport and music.”
For fans, the world of sports is more than what happens on the field or the outcome on the scoreboard. It’s about bringing people together. In this way, sports and music are similar—especially when it comes to the passion that fans have for each.
This week at Spotify Beach at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Spotify’s Head of Music, JeremyErlich,hosted a conversation between former FC Barcelona player CescFàbregas, freestyle footballer PolaGomez, Coca Cola’s VP of Global Sports and Entertainment Marketing and Partnerships, BradfordRoss, and Samsung’s European CMO, BenjaminBraun. Together, they dove into the fan culture surrounding sports, music and the ways each brand has harnessed this passion.
“About a year ago, we signed our partnership with FC Barcelona,” Jeremy said at the start of the conversation. “It’s been an amazing partnership. Together, we set out to bring the world of Football and Music together. For us, it’s about how we can use FC Barcelona’s huge scale and fanbase to celebrate artists and grow our brand in places like India, Indonesia and Latin America. Football and sport are different from music, but they have the similarities of having very passionate fan bases and having very young fanbases.”
CescFàbregas knows something about an active fanbase. He joined his first professional team, Arsenal, at age 16, coming off the World Cup tournament where he was voted the best player and goal scorer. “Even though we lost the final against Brazil, that’s the first time I started signing shirts and taking pictures with people.” A few years later, Cesc joined his home country’s Football Club Barcelona, and led the team to victory at the world championships at age 23. But he stays humble.
“I always say that in football, you never know everything,” said Cesc. “It’s one of those sports you can always grow, even when you’re 32, 35, 37, and everyone around me has helped me learn. Everyday, I’m thankful for that.”
PolaGomez also started playing football at a young age, thanks to her family’s love of the sport. But after sustaining injuries to both knees, she transitioned to football freestyle, where she interacts with most of her fans through social media. “I am on social media first for sharing my passion, sharing my tricks, but also to show off this incredible football freestyle universe. I love being close to my community, to share tips, but also to motivate people, especially girls trying out the sport of their dreams,” she said.
Jeremy dove deeper into music and branding with each athlete, and how their sport brings fans together. Read on for some top moments from their conversation.
Cesc: It [The Spotify partnership with FC Barcelona] is another level. You see how big the club can be around the world. Everywhere you go, they know you. They know the players, they know the brand. Spotify has made a great choice in joining us.
Jeremy: As part of our Barcelona partnership, twice this past year for the Clásico, which is one of the most watched sports in the world, we replaced the Spotify jersey with an artist logo. We did Drake for the first Clásico, and then we did ROSALiA for the second. And let’s specifically talk about ROSALiA: She’s been a Barcelona fan her entire life. So the emotional connection when we offered her the opportunity to be on the jersey was, I think, one of the most enriching things we’ve done with an artist. She was moved to tears because her family and all her friends could see her on the jersey. But I think that really brings the strength of local connections.
Cesc: I think music has a really big, big part for us in football. Normally, there’s one designated player that will take charge of the music and will play music that everyone likes. But Spain is the place where there’s the most chaos because everyone likes a different type of music.
So each game, we pick a player who will dictate what’s going to happen musically in the locker room. It’s really, really important because in this half an hour before the game when we listen to music, we also just pump everyone up and we get motivated and excited for the game.
Sometimes we have one song that we all pick that we all feel identified with and we’ll just go for it. And you know it’s time for action.
Jeremy: When you think of what you want brands to associate with you, what do you think of? What’s most important to you?
Pola: Most important for me is to keep my image as a strong woman with my style. I really try to accept only brands with my values and ethics. At first, I posted just for me, and now all people can see my free style and they love and appreciate it. It’s just crazy—I don’t really have words for that, but it’s just so cool to be able to simply enjoy my passion. I can’t imagine my life without my ball. We are like a duo. We express ourselves together.
Cesc: I think it’s most important to bring everyone together and fight for what’s good and fight against what’s not good. Because we always have a big thing to say as sportsmen, as people who represent many, many things around the world in terms of culture and diversity. We just have to always be positive and try to improve as the world is trying to improve.
Over the last two weekends, both FC Barcelona and FC Barcelona Femení extended their respective title race leads with their El Clásico victories. The highly anticipated matches, hosted on the Spotify Camp Nou pitch, had extra star power thanks to the clubs’ special-edition ROSALÍA shirts.
Kitted out for victory
During the epic showdowns, both FC Barcelona and FC Barcelona Femení players wore the MOTOMAMI shirts to celebrate the first anniversary of ROSALÍA’s latest album. Following the reveal of the special match kit on March 15, searches for “ROSALÍA” and “MOTOMAMI” on Spotify increased more than 100% globally and nearly 200% in Spain compared to the previous day. ROSALÍA herself even earned a social media milestone, with her announcement post on Instagram becoming her most-liked of all time.
And fans were just getting started.
In the hour following the final whistle of the men’s match, global streams of ROSALÍA tracks climbed on Spotify:
More than 220% in Egypt
170% in Morocco
Nearly 70% in Nigeria
Nearly60% in Sweden and India
55% in Poland
More than 50% in South Africa
More than 45% in Chile
More than25% in Australia and Brazil
More than 20% in Indonesia, the U.K., South Korea, and Spain*
Over the past month, football fans around the world joined together to cheer on their countries’ teams as they competed in the world’s biggest sporting event. And whether it was with classic anthems, podcasts, or destinations, Spotify was there to soundtrack the biggest goals, victories, and moments of glory that the world’s game produced.
As the tournament unfolded, there were many unexpected victories and moments of excitement that sparked fans to celebrate with their favorite anthems. And we’ve helped fans capture those moments by tracking some of the key trends and creating new experiences.
Let’s revisit some of Spotify’s big musical moments from the tournament.
Ultimately, the quest for football glory came down to Argentina and France, with Argentina the celebratory victor! In Argentina, football fans were able to enjoy a special Spotify destination from the start of the tournament. Along the way, La Mosca Tse-Tse’s anthem “Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar” saw a massive spike in popularity, and following Argentina’s unprecedented victory, there was a 4,300% increase in global streams of “Muchachos” on Spotify globally, with a 5,300% increase of streams from Argentina specifically.
Fans also celebrated with Queen’s “We Are The Champions,” which saw a 320% increase in streams in Argentina following the final game.
There was also something for French fans, who streamed our playlist Allez Les Bleus !, which features local and global football anthems from past and present.
Overall, Gala’s 1997 hit “Freed From Desire” proved to be one of the standout football anthems over the last month, with fans in France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Poland all flocking to the song.
Following Saudi Arabia’s historic upset of Argentina in the group stages of the tournament, Spotify Arabia celebrated by highlighting Madonna’s 1996 hit from the musical Evita, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” The song saw an over 1,200% increase in streaming in Saudi.
As Morocco carried out its Cinderella run throughout the tournament, fans listened to our new playlist Dima Maroc, which includes Hamid Bouchnak’s fan-favorite football anthem “Allez Allez Maroc — Les lions de l’Atlas,” which had an almost 5,000% stream spike during the tournament from listeners around the world.
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