Ranking every World Cup team’s custom goal song as England picks a fan favorite from Ally Pally
For a moment, it felt like we were right at the famous Alexander Palace in London. When Harry Kane scored England’s first goal at the 2026 World Cup by beating Croatia’s goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic on his second penalty, the stadium filled with the sounds of “Chase the Sun” by Planet Funk. This song played as the crowd cheered at Dallas Stadium.
If you don’t know, “Chase the Sun” is a popular electronic dance anthem famous at the World Darts Championship, usually played before ads. This summer, for the North America tournament, the FA chose it after FIFA asked each country to pick a special song to play every time they scored.
Fans loved it, especially since the song played four times during the match — thanks to goals from Harry Kane (twice), Jude Bellingham, and Marcus Rashford, leading to a 4-2 win.
Curious what other songs are playing when teams score? A report by HeraldoUSA listed every nation’s goal anthem, and we decided to rank them. There’s everything from a Dutch version of the Scottish folk song “Auld Lang Syne,” to a remix of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” which played four times when the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1.
These rankings may cause some debate, but keep in mind, my music taste has been called questionable! Growing up listening to Scooter, I think Austria’s choice, “Maria (I Like It Loud),” is pure genius—and many fans seem to agree. The YouTube comments are full of praise, with one fan saying, “Not my team but it’s so catchy,” and another sharing how the song got stuck in their head even after losing the match.
The best song by far has to be Scotland’s choice, perfect for celebrating their goal after 28 years away from the World Cup. Fans called it “the perfect song,” and joked that Boston fans would be singing it for a long time.
Mexico picked a catchy mariachi tune, “La Hija del Mariachi” by La Negra, which really shows off their culture. Mariachi music, performed by bands in traditional suits and sombreros, adds a festive vibe that fans love.
England’s choice of “Chase the Sun” has been much better received than their 2022 pick, “Freed From Desire” by Gala. Fans have called it “absolutely fire” and “such a tune.” Fair warning: it might get stuck in your head!
Bosnia’s anthem, featuring the fun line “I am from Bosnia, take me to America,” became a big hit after they qualified, but sadly we’ve only heard it twice so far. Fans loved it, with one joking about famous players singing it.
It took some time to listen to all 48 songs, but we finally put together this list. Sorry if your favorite didn’t make the top!
Here’s how some of the countries ranked:
6.) France: One More Time – Daft Punk
7.) South Africa: THIS IS BAFANA – Shabz
8.) Australia: Thunderstruck – AC/DC
9.) Canada: Goals – LISA, Anitta & Rema
10.) Ghana: We Shall Score – Cj Biggerman & Big Ivy
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26.) United States: Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
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48.) Germany: Major Tom – Peter Schilling
It’s been fun hearing all these songs, each bringing its own style and energy to the tournament!