Unlike a large portion of the global population, I did not tune into the 2010 World Cup.
I may only have been a year old, but that’s hardly an excuse to miss what was arguably the greatest international sporting event that year. Luckily, however, I still got a small taste of the experience.
That year’s official anthem had an overwhelming presence in my childhood. Grocery stores, shopping malls and elementary school events—Shakira’s wildly popular “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” was everywhere, even years after its initial release.
With “Waka Waka,” in all of its infectious and culturally unifying glory, the Colombian superstar set the standard high. Now, as the World Cup rolls around again, it’s time to put the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album to the test.
What exactly is the criterion for a phenomenal World Cup song, you may ask? First and foremost, it must be chantable. Simple, catchy choruses or refrains are exceptionally effective in crossing linguistic and cultural barriers with ease, as anyone can easily join in. Not to mention that these songs will be played in massive stadiums – there’s no better way to feed into the electricity of a crowd than by giving it something to shout about.
Additionally, it should be fitting for the occasion. If every song could be a World Cup official anthem, no song would be. Whether sonically or lyrically, soccer and multiculturalism should be major motifs throughout the track.
Finally, a World Cup song should be memorable. While perhaps the most difficult to achieve, it has been done before. Just look at Shakira!
With those three pillars in mind, let’s dive into the album.
18: “Show Me” by Ayra Starr and Latto
While sonically fresh, this Afrobeats-infused hip-hop track thematically flounders. With lyrics demanding high standards and princess treatment, the prose is not only poor, but also emphatically random for the World Cup.
17: “Love Always Wins” by Cimafunk, Shaggy and Zema
Beautiful message. Beautiful vocals. Beautiful ballad. If that was the criterion for a great World Cup song, this one would have everyone else beat by a landslide. Unfortunately, this track increasingly feels as though it would lend itself better to a children’s assembly than an electric arena.
16: “Partidazo” by Danny Ocean
The absence of cultural collaboration is sorely felt on this particular solo project. I do appreciate Ocean’s usage of soccer language to compose romantic lyrics with puns aplenty, but the track feels sonically one-dimensional and wilted nonetheless.
15: “Blessings” by Stormzy, Angel and Fridayy
We’re entering a rough patch of songs that I simply didn’t like much. They aren’t bad; if anything, their sin is just being boring. This track feels melancholic despite themes of gratitude and falls fatally flat for the occasion.
14: “Goals” by Lisa, Anitta and Rema
The repetitive chorus feels like a nail gun to the ear canal. The lyrics are astoundingly egotistical. And I hate to say it, but no amount of the global starpower radiating from these three collaborators can fully compensate. However, it has emerged as a fan favorite, suggesting that it does have the necessary energy and pizazz to dazzle audiences.
13: “Mi México Lindo” by Alejandro Fernández
This is a beautiful love letter to Mexico, relying heavily on a traditional mariachi sound that stands in stark contrast to the rest of the album. However, strictly for the World Cup, the lack of energy and multiculturalism render it incapable of fully encompassing everything the event is about.
12: “No Place Like Home” by Major Lazer, Nelly Furtado and Davido
Relaxed and rhythmic, this track is bringing absolutely nothing new to the table, despite that very same table hosting a trio of musical giants. That said, an attempt at boosting national pride was successfully made, thereby boosting it in this ranking.
11: “In the Stars – Cirkut and Andrew Watt Remix” by the Rolling Stones
Mick Jagger, please do not consider a career in house music. As a remix of a pre-existing Rolling Stones release tweaked to sound more upbeat, this song isn’t bad at all. Just lazy.
10: “Siir Siir” by Nora Fatehi, Vegedream and Sanjoy
I can see the vision here. However, I can also see the reality. Unfortunately, there’s a palpable gap between the two. The beat and energy are both solid, yet it still feels like something’s missing.
9: “Lighter” by Jelly Roll and Carin Leon
I wouldn’t have a problem with this song existing…so long as it purely existed in the realm of Chevrolet advertisements and Fourth of July barbecues. Seriously, get these men – whose voices, I will admit, sound remarkably great together – a pickup truck and some beer.
8: “Por Ella” by Belinda and Los Ángeles Azules
Placing this song smack dab in the middle of the list feels very right. I like the smooth Latin pop vocals against the backdrop of traditional instrumentation, but the song certainly doesn’t dazzle. I can’t really put my finger on what isn’t working here, but it still works well enough.
7: “Energy” by Ava Max and BIA
This song lives up to its name. It’s a solid, fun track – nothing more, nothing less. It feels very Ava Max, which is to say, it will likely do great numbers in H&M’s worldwide.
6: “Dai Dai” by Shakira and Burna Boy
As the official World Cup 2026 song, this track already has a lot to live up to. Especially when Shakira, practically the mother of World Cup songs, is on board. Unfortunately, this is no Waka Waka. It’s super fun, but doesn’t even come close to her former greatness despite clearly vying to replicate it.
5: “Three Nations” by 21 Savage, Nata Cano and French Montana
The locker room needs hype music just as much as the stands do! I can assuredly say that this song would have me on my feet no matter what part of the stadium I was in. With that said, it doesn’t necessarily feel the most multicultural, reading a lot more like a 21 Savage song than a World Cup one.
4: “Game Time” by Future and Tyla
This is perhaps the only song on this album I would readily listen to again entirely of my own volition. It has great playability and fresh flavor, and the sonic chemistry and contrast between Future and Tyla keep the track pumping.
3: “Illuminate” by Jessie Reyez and Elyanna
At first glance, this song is lyrically reminiscent of a Disney Channel original. With that said, it fully delivers. Stadium-ready and a seamless fusion of Latin and Arabic influences, it is certainly a shining light on this tracklist.
2: “Echo” by Daddy Yankee and Shenseea
Flawlessly fusing reggae, rap and Latin pop, there is something truly unifying about this track. It feels nostalgic in the best way and overwhelmingly fit for the World Cup. It brought every ounce of energy needed to shake up the stands and get fans on their feet. An instant classic, surely.
1: “Champions” by iShowSpeed
I was surprised to see that IShowSpeed had a song on the official World Cup album. I was even more surprised upon realizing it was the very best song on the entire World Cup album. With a shoutout to each of the 48 participating countries and a chorus practically concocted to be chanted in a stadium, the streamer singlehandedly delivered the most passionate and energetic ode to football, global unity and multiculturalism FIFA has produced this year.
Suffice to say, this album had its highs and lows. I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly disappointed in nearly equal proportions, but wholeheartedly understand that art would not be art if it were not subjective. While some songs were not my cup of tea nor necessarily on par with World Cup classics of the past, listening to the project in full was an unexpectedly enjoyable experience. Despite inconsistent quality, I felt there was a lovely sense of multicultural collaboration and variety running throughout the entire album. Slow songs, fast songs and languages from every corner of the globe – the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album is an excellent microcosm of how many different perspectives and worldviews contribute to this singular event.
