Of course everyone knows the first item on the list. No other song has ever combined a message about soccer with such a catchy tune that reaches upbeat notes without being cheesy. Ricky Martin has released many similar songs ever since, but one has to wonder if they were as successful as his France 98 anthem. His impressive performance at the 41st Grammy Awards ensured that he was on everyone's mind just before La Copa De La Vida dropped in the spring of 1999.

Martin's vocal delivery, backed by lively horns and energizing drumming, transitions from vocalist to dance floor preachers and back. It is mystifyingly enjoyable - which is, after all, what the goal should be. It's appropriate that this was the World Cup theme song, since Brazil made it to the final match only to lose to France.

La Copa De La Vida has no actual message other than "enjoy yourself today, since this is the most significant night of your life." It suits the atmosphere of the world’s most prestigious championship, and a deserved number one throughout the tumultuous history of all World Cup songs.

Artist: Ricky Martin

Album: Vuelve

Release year: 1999

It's easy to recall how enormous "Waka Waka" (also known as This Time For Africa) was at the time of its debut. The song's stunning 3 billion views on YouTube is the finest tribute to the World Cup marketing strength, even if many people think that this song is one of the weakest soccer-sounding in tournament history.

Given how crazy Shakira's lyrics can be in the best of ways, it's sad that such a massive song was constrained by such predictable composition. However, since it features Shakira and South African duo Freshlyground, it remains a banger that we cannot get off our heads eleven years later.

The aforementioned Freshlyground lifts the song's middle section, albeit the music loses points later on as the artists instantly undermine it with a cringe-inducing "we are all Africa '' theme. (That is essentially what Waka Waka is about). Listening to it today, in 2022, we realize that it talks about the attention South Africa had during that tournament in a rather condescending way. Still, you cannot deny that it is a pleasant song to play before football games.

Artist: Shakira ft. Freshlyground

Album: Sale et Sol

Release year: 2010

Live It Up would have definitely been a few positions higher (if not for the short-lived rumor that Bad Bunny and J. Balvin were tasked with creating the 2018 World Cup theme song). But in the end, they opted for Nicky Jam, and entrusted the whole production of the song to Diplo, who lashed all out in his own maximalist fashion.

The Fresh King of Dad Raps maintains his customary pace throughout - not showing off too much, but delivering enough quality for a mainstream song. That is a praise, given how broadly popular all World Cup anthems eventually become. Jam, just like his usual tendency, combines Spanish rap and English singing, and it works. And Istrefi does her best for the chorus, which is commendable.

If there is one factor that prevents Live It Up from reaching a higher position on the list, it is the execution. The song aspires to become an epic anthem, but came short of expectation with trumpets booming noisily throughout most of the chorus.

Artist: Nicky Jam, Era Istrefi, Will Smith

Album: Live It Up

Release: 2018

Giorgio Moroder was a forerunner of the Italo disco genre - even before his career resurrection in the previous half-decade. As such, one would have guessed that his rendition of a World Cup song would inevitably be a rousing success. It commemorates both his personal music heritage and the culture of his nation, Italy, which was hosting its second World Cup.

And, yes, there are some silver linings here in Un'estate italiana. The meaty guitars going into the climax are fantastic, and the extreme alt rock vocals are appropriate for the genre's golden era. However, one cannot help feeling as if it should have had more flavor. The middle verse is a melodic dud that drags everything down, and the obligatory guitar solo is a tad dull.

Nonetheless, the 1990 World Cup anthem is maybe the most successful theme song to date, since football fans around the world continue to enjoy discussing it and singing it together. Un'estate italiana is available in a variety of renditions. The English version, titled "To Be Number One," has both a classic studio rendition and a live version with a powerful and enticing rock beat.

Artist: Gianna Nannini & Edoardo Bennato

Album: Bomboloni: The Greatest Hits Collection

Release: 1996

FIFA - the football's international governing body - and Sony Music Entertainment picked the song We Are One as the official World Cup anthem. The three stars (Jenniefer Lopez, Pitbull and Caludia Leitte) performed it during the World Cup's opening ceremony on June 12, 2014 at Brazil's Arena de Sao Paulo.

"Having grown up in a household that adored 'futbol,' I am overjoyed to be singing at the Opening Ceremonies with Caludia Leitte and Pitbull," Jennifer Lopez said in a statement published by Sony, confirming the song's selection. "This is a great celebration of worldwide solidarity, competitiveness, and sport," remarked the Puerto Rican-American singer and actress from the United States.

The music video for We Are One is lively, colorful, and packed with all the football highlight footage you'd anticipate from a promotional clip of the world's biggest soccer tournament. Pitbull serves as a type of ambassador for all Brazilian things in the video. After a few minutes into the video, we soon get beyond the views of Christ The Redeemer to see what Pitbull is actually here to do - dance between two sultry Brazilian beauties. Lopez also performs, while Claudia Leitte provides some powerful vocals to the overall tune.

Artist: Pitbull, Claudia Leitte, Jennifer Lopez

Album: Globalization

Released: 2014

Since it was chosen as the theme song for the 2010 FIFA Globe Cup, many young people over the world have grown to know and appreciate the song "Wavin' Flag" by Canadian-Somali hip hop artist K'naan (full name Keynaan Abdi Warsame). An imaginative and outstanding children's book for ages six and above, “When I Get Older: The Story Behind Wavin’ Flag” explores the tale behind the song.

The book relates the story of thirteen-year-old K'naan, whose family was abruptly and brutally faced with civil war in Mogadishu. They escaped to New York City and then to Toronto, Canada.

Whenever K-'naan was unwell, fearful during the riots, or discouraged by school friends in Toronto, his grandpa would console him with the poetic lines: "As I get older, I shall become stronger. They'll refer to me as freedom, as if I were a flying flag." According to the author of the book, K'naan put these lyrics to music and used them to bridge the divide between him and the other pupils at his Toronto high school. The song becomes a message of strength for many music lovers around the world.

Artist: K’naan

Album: Troubadour

Release year: 2009

Unlike most other official FIFA anthems, Time of Our Lives does not include a thunderous and danceable rhythm. Rather than that, this official song for Germany's 2006 hosting of the World Cup has combined some magnificent vocals from the members of the highly renowned classical crossover group, Il Divo and American R&B singer Toni Braxton. They seemed to be a strange pairing of artists for the American-Spanish tune, yet it worked well.

The music video covers several iconic World Cup events, and the lyrics are also rather lovely - particularly for people who like upbeat, make-your-dreams-come-true type songs.

The song was so successful and iconic that it made its appearance in tons of subsequent World Cup events. For instance, in 2014, the tournament commissioned Moroccan musician Ahmed Chawki to record an official song partially in Arabic, despite the fact that Algeria was the only Arabic-speaking country competing in the World Cup that year. This proved to be a wise choice, since Time of Our Lives is a lovely gem.

Artist: Il Divo, Toni Braxton

Album: Voices from the FIFA World Cup

Release year: 2006

"We Are the Champions" is a track by the famous rock band Queen from Britain. It was released as the first single from the band's 1977 album, News of the World. It is still one of rock's most instantly recognizable anthems, having been written by lead vocalist Freddie Mercury. The track was a global smash hit.

Mercury said that the song was written with audience involvement in mind, and that the word "We" in the song's title alludes to everyone who is chanting it. Brian May referred to the song as "unifying and optimistic." Years after its debut, "We Are the Champions" developed into an anthem for sports successes (not just football). It served as the official theme music for the 1994 World Cup, and is frequently referenced or utilized in popular culture. Also, the song has been covered by various musicians.

Queen released a raw rehearsal version of the song on 7 October 2017, to commemorate the 41th anniversary of the publication of News of the World. It was created using unreleased voices and orchestral takes from the multi-track recordings. This version also includes the track's original recorded length - which is two choruses longer than the 1977 trimmed single.

Artist: Queen

Album: New of The World

Release year: 1977

Live It Up is the official 2018 World Cup theme, while Colors by Jason Derulo serves as the promotional song for the tournament, a collaboration among Derulo, World Cup and Coca-Cola. Colors is an optimistic and melodious track, filled with affirmative sentiments such as "there is beauty in the togetherness we've discovered." Derulo visits stunning locations throughout the music video, including a majestic palace in Haiti and, of course, a Miami soccer field. National flags are omnipresent. In the video, Derulo, whose ancestors are Haitians, dresses in Haitian garb while Wyclef Jean makes a guest appearance.

Derulo said in a statement that he "composed Colors to honor people's diversity, and to be a part of the incredible enthusiasm that sports fans worldwide give their national teams." Furthermore, the artist also released a multilingual version of Colors with Colombian pop sensation Maluma.

Derulo has a track record of landing musical performances at big athletic events. He collaborated with singers of Florida Georgia Line in 2017 to create the Monday Night Football theme song. "I'm always wondering about what comes next - what people have received from me, what they appreciate about me, and what they haven't heard from me," the musician told Rolling Stone.

Artist: Jason Derulo

Album: Colors

Release year: 2018

"Boom" is a single performed by Anastacia, an American artist. It served as the 2002 World Cup's official song. It was produced and co-written by Glen Ballard. The song was launched as a single by Epic Records and Daylight Records on March 20, 2002.

Later on, the song was featured in the 2002 World Cup Official Album, as well as the deluxe version of Anastacia's next solo album, Freak of Nature (in 2001). MTV Italy named it as the nation's favorite World Cup Song in 2014.

The MV for "Boom" was produced by Marcos Siega and filmed in England in 2002. It was released on Anastacia’s debut DVD, The Video Collection, later that year. The video begins with a vehicle driving along the street, as the radio played "One Day in Your Life." Suddenly, the automobile comes to a halt and a light flashes in the sky. The song then begins, and Anastacia performs it on a dance floor in front of an audience. Numerous individuals are beamed up to the party throughout the storyline, including several soccer players.

Artist: Anastacia

Album: Freak of Nature

Release year: 2002