Football Culture
World Cup 2026 Parking and Hotel Costs by City
A practical fan guide to the cities where World Cup 2026 parking, hotels, transit, and matchday logistics may hurt the most.
From Pavarotti's opera in 1990 to Shakira's Waka Waka in 2010 — a complete history of the anthems that defined each tournament, with ratings and verdicts on all of them.
I've been watching the World Cup since Italia 90. That means I've heard every official anthem from Pavarotti's Nessun Dorma to Shakira's Waka Waka — and I can tell you immediately which three stand above everything else: Nessun Dorma (1990), La Copa de la Vida (1998), and Waka Waka (2010). Every other anthem has spent the last three decades trying to reach that tier and falling short. Here is the full definitive ranking, with honest verdicts on all nine.
Shakira ft. Burna Boy
USA / Canada / Mexico
English / Spanish · Afropop / Latin Pop
FIFA announced "Dai Dai" in May 2026 — Shakira's second World Cup anthem after Waka Waka, this time paired with Afrobeats star Burna Boy. The title means "generation" in Mandarin, a deliberate nod to the tournament's global reach. Early reception: familiar Shakira DNA, but whether it earns classic status depends entirely on how the tournament unfolds.
Trinidad Cardona, Davido & Aisha
Qatar
English / Arabic · Afrobeats / Pop
A deliberately global mix — Nigerian Afrobeats (Davido), American soul (Trinidad Cardona) and Qatari flavor (Aisha). Energetic and radio-friendly, but critics felt it lacked the transcendent grandeur of past anthems. Grew on audiences during the tournament.
Nicky Jam ft. Will Smith & Era Istrefi
Russia
English · Reggaeton / Pop
Will Smith's return to global pop was likable but formulaic. The reggaeton beat felt safe for 2018 standards, and the music video's energy didn't quite translate into the stadiums. Memorable mostly for nostalgia.
Pitbull ft. Jennifer Lopez & Claudia Leitte
Brazil
English / Portuguese / Spanish · Pop / Samba
Brazil 2014 had the perfect setup for an all-time anthem. Instead it got Pitbull. The samba undertones were there, Jennifer Lopez elevated it, and Claudia Leitte brought authenticity — but the finished product felt corporate. The real winner that year was the official song "La La La" by Shakira ft. Carlinhos Brown.
Shakira ft. Freshlyground
South Africa
English / Spanish / Zulu · Afropop / Pop
The gold standard. Based on the Cameroonian military song "Zangaléwa", Shakira's delivery was electric and Freshlyground's South African soul gave it authenticity. Over 4.5 billion views on YouTube — making it one of the most-watched music videos in the platform's history. The vuvuzela era had the perfect soundtrack. Unmatched for cultural resonance.
Il Divo & Toni Braxton
Germany
English · Operatic Pop / R&B
An unusual pairing that somehow worked. Il Divo's operatic tenor harmonies with Toni Braxton's smoky R&B voice created something genuinely elegant. Reflected Germany's refined hosting style. Underrated by casual fans.
Vangelis
South Korea / Japan
Instrumental · Electronic / Orchestral
The Greek composer of Chariots of Fire delivered something cinematic and cosmic. No lyrics — just sweeping synthesizers and orchestral drama. Purists loved it. It soundtracked one of the most dramatic tournaments ever, including that South Korea run. Criminally underappreciated.
Ricky Martin
France
Spanish / English / French · Latin Pop
Ricky Martin's breakout global moment. The "Go go go, alé alé alé" chant became instantly universal. France 98 was a golden tournament and this was the perfect companion — frantic, joyful, impossible to sit still to. A top-three anthem without question.
Daryl Hall & Sounds of Blackness
USA
English · Gospel / Soul
An inspired choice for the American hosting. Gospel choir energy, Daryl Hall's blue-eyed soul, and a genuinely uplifting arrangement. Doesn't get the credit it deserves because the USA era is often overlooked. The choir outro alone is worth it.
Luciano Pavarotti
Italy
Italian · Opera
Not composed for the World Cup — Puccini wrote it in 1926 — but the BBC's decision to use Pavarotti's performance as the tournament theme changed everything. The aria's final "Vincerò!" ("I will win!") became one of sport's defining moments. Set the bar every anthem since has tried to clear.
| Year | Song | Artist | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Dai Dai (The World Is Yours to Take) | Shakira ft. Burna Boy | TBD |
| 2010 | Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) | Shakira ft. Freshlyground | 10/10 |
| 1998 | La Copa de la Vida | Ricky Martin | 10/10 |
| 1990 | Nessun Dorma | Luciano Pavarotti | 10/10 |
| 2002 | Anthem | Vangelis | 9/10 |
| 2006 | The Time of Our Lives | Il Divo & Toni Braxton | 8/10 |
| 1994 | Gloryland | Daryl Hall & Sounds of Blackness | 8/10 |
| 2022 | Hayya Hayya | Trinidad Cardona, Davido & Aisha | 7/10 |
| 2018 | Live It Up | Nicky Jam ft. Will Smith | 6/10 |
| 2014 | We Are One (Ole Ola) | Pitbull ft. Jennifer Lopez | 5/10 |
Three anthems stand above the rest, and having watched every tournament since 1990, I'll tell you exactly why. Nessun Dorma set a standard so impossibly high it wasn't even written for football — Pavarotti's "Vincerò!" is still the most spine-tingling moment in World Cup broadcast history. La Copa de la Vida gave us the greatest pre-match stadium chant ever written and launched Ricky Martin globally in a single night. Waka Waka is the people's champion — a genuine crossover hit built on a real African military song, not a boardroom pitch deck.
The 2026 anthem has been announced: Shakira returns with "Dai Dai", this time paired with Burna Boy. The ingredients look right — Latin DNA from the host continent, global Afrobeats crossover appeal, and Shakira's proven World Cup track record. Whether it earns a 10/10 rating is a question only the tournament itself can answer. Three things made every previous 10/10 anthem work: a chant that fills a stadium without music, cultural authenticity from the host country, and a hook that needs no translation.
Which World Cup anthem has the most YouTube views of all time?
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Shakira — over 4.5 billion views, making it one of the most-watched music videos in YouTube history and far ahead of any other World Cup anthem. The next closest is La Copa de la Vida, which has over 100 million views across its official uploads.
Was Nessun Dorma actually written for the World Cup?
No. Puccini composed it in 1926 for the opera Turandot. The BBC used Pavarotti's recording as their Italia 90 broadcast theme, and it became synonymous with the tournament. It was never an "official" FIFA anthem — which makes its cultural legacy even more remarkable than if it had been commissioned.
What should the 2026 World Cup anthem sound like to earn a 10/10?
Based on the three highest-rated anthems in this list, 100% of the 10/10 anthems share exactly three non-negotiable elements: a chant that fills a 90,000-seat stadium without amplification, genuine cultural authenticity from the host nations, and a hook that needs no translation to land emotionally. Every anthem rated below 8 fails at least one of these. "Dai Dai" by Shakira and Burna Boy checks the Latin rhythms box — the question is whether the chant survives without speakers at full volume.