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U.S. Soccer Embraces “Country Roads” Anthem for 2026 World Cup

7/3/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The U.S. men’s national soccer team adopted “Country Roads” as its anthem for the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA added the song to its playlist to foster unity.
Mauricio Pochettino and Weston McKennie sang the anthem after a 2-0 win, saying it built a connection.
Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert said the song came from a 1970 Maryland drive, not West Virginia, and noted that the John Denver estate welcomed its revival.

History

Historical Context

In 2010 FIFA chose Colombian singer Shakira and South African band Freshlyground to record “Waka Waka,” the official song of the South Africa World Cup. The track premiered on 7 May 2010, was performed at the opening ceremony on 10 June, and by June 2026 had amassed more than 4.5 billion YouTube views, illustrating FIFA’s long-standing strategy of pairing global tournaments with pop anthems.

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Story summary

The U.S. men’s national soccer team adopted “Country Roads” as its anthem for the 2026 World Cup.
FIFA added the song to its playlist to foster unity.
Mauricio Pochettino and Weston McKennie sang the anthem after a 2-0 win, saying it built a connection.
Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert said the song came from a 1970 Maryland drive, not West Virginia, and noted that the John Denver estate welcomed its revival.

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