10. “To Be The One/ Un’estate Italiana” – Giorgio Mordoder Project – Italy 1990

It’s certainly not the worst World Cup anthem, but knowing the musician’s previous compositional achievements, everyone expected something more. Unfortunately, there’s nothing crazy about it: the song doesn’t encourage anyone to fight, but it also doesn’t make anyone feel bad about the matches. It’s just bland. Okay, back in the 1990s it seemed to have been pretty well received, but it didn’t stand the test of time and today almost no one remembers it.

9. Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, Claudia Leitte – “We Are One (Ole Ola)” – Brazil 2014

The song was a big hit during the championship, but it must be admitted that it has not aged well. Eight years is enough to say that it seems a bit obnoxious today. Pitbull’s influence on the song is so significant that it completely overshadows the ladies. Not taking advantage of the potential of J.Lo, who has already released the big hit “Let’s Get Loud”, is a real wasted opportunity.

8. Nicki Minaj, Maluma, Myriam Fares – “Tukoh Taka” – Qatar 2022

Maybe we haven’t gotten used to this song yet, but we have a fundamental problem with it: the song is completely uncatchy. It’s hard to repeat this, but we’re giving it another chance. We know perfectly well that Maluma can do wonders and create a hit from a total flop. And we will probably all hear “Tukoh Taka” many times.

7. Shakira – “Waka, Waka” – South Africa 2010

One of Shakira’s biggest hits, for sure, but is it the best World Cup anthem? Shakira was accused of plagiarism by the international media, but the authors of the original composition organized a press conference where they explained that the singer had simply adapted their song and everything had gone as planned. When FIFA announced that “Waka Waka” would become the official anthem of the World Cup, South Africans felt offended. They argued that the international star was not worthy of representing their country, made up of multi-generational musical traditions.

6. Bob Sinclair – “Love Generation” – Germany 2006

“Love Generation” did not become the official anthem of the World Cup, but the song made a lot of noise on international charts. A pleasant song with an extremely melodic chorus could not be omitted from our ranking.

5. Nicky Jam, Will Smith, Era Istrefi – “Live It Up” – Russia 2018

An almost perfect anthem. A wonderful combination of English rap and Latin rhythms. The superb Nicky Jam, the excellent Will Smith and Era Istrefi, who is a bit reminiscent of Rihanna’s singing, create a really great atmosphere. It’s impossible to stand while listening to this song. The rhythm encourages the fight and boosts the morale of the supporters whose teams are doing a little less well.

4. Shakira – “La La La” – Brazil 2014

Shakira is the queen of songs world Cup, so it had to be included in our list again. “La La La” is actually an updated version of the song “Dare (La La La)”. The singer infused energy into the hit with her speech and gave it a much more footballing touch. The piece is an original composition and the Colombian deserves respect for that.

3. Herbert Grönemeyer – “Zeit, dass sich was dreht” – Germany 2006

Herbert Grönemeyer is one of the most popular German musicians. It is therefore not surprising that when the World Cup took place in our neighbors, his proposal became the official anthem of the World Cup. The track stands out from the rest of the anthems with an extremely emotional message and lyrics that don’t repeat nonsense phrases, although the motivating “ole, ole” isn’t dropped.

2. K’Naan – “Wavin’ Flag” – South Africa 2010

Even though the song lost the battle for the title of official World Cup anthem, it feels like it became a much bigger hit than the one promoted by FIFA. “Wavin’ Flag” is not only a song for football players, but also a motivational hit that touches the hearts of millions. It should be noted that K’Naan’s composition was the most listened to song of the 2010 World Cup thanks to Coca-Cola advertising.

1. Ricky Martin – “La Copa De La Vida” – France 1998

This track simply has everything it takes to create the perfect World Cup anthem. Whistles, rhythmic brass, powerful drums and a catchy chorus. It seems that today it is difficult to find at least one football fan who would not be able to repeat the words “Here we go! But, but, but! Come on, come on, come on! But, but but !”. The play not only allowed everyone to enjoy the World Cup, but also made Martin an international star.