World in Motion John BarnesGetty

What is the official England World Cup 2018 song?

Eyes are on Gareth Southgate's side as he looks to guide a young England team with relatively little expectation attached as far as he can in the World Cup.

Buoyed by a youthful side featuring notable individual talent – such as Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling – as well as England fans being used to their team never making it very far, this World Cup is the perfect opportunity for Southgate to surprise Three Lions supporters.

Having made it through their qualifying campaign undefeated and preparing to face the likes of Belgium, Tunisia and Panama in their group stages, excitement has continued to build – and with England known for their history of World Cup anthems, will they be readying another song to keep spirits alive for this tournament?

Jason Derulo's 'Colors'  was named the official 'Coca-Cola anthem' for the tournament in Russia , but what will England fans be chanting?

Goal brings you all you need to know about England's official (and unofficial) 2018 World Cup songs. 


What is England's official World Cup 2018 anthem?


Unfortunately, England have decided not to go with an official World Cup song this year, revealing that they have not commissioned an official squad single, nor have they planned to endorse an unofficial song for the tournament.

The FA stated in a matter-of-fact announcement: "There is no official World Cup song planned."

The Three Lions do have a vibrant history of notable World Cup tunes – most notably 'Vindaloo' in 1998 as well as 'World in Motion' in 1990, among others.

This means that England supporters will have to get creative and come up with their own soundtrack to inspire their team this upcoming tournament as the governing body of English football has decided that priorities lied with allowing Southgate and the team to fully focus on their campaign, which will not allow for any sort of distraction.

With Southgate having to prepare for friendlies against Nigeria and Costa Rica ahead of June 14, when the World Cup starts it appears that the manager does not want any off-field aberrations.


What are the unofficial England World Cup songs?


Chas and Dave

Obviously England are not short of their share of homegrown bands and artists capable of penning a catchy summer earworm to inspire their nation's efforts in the World Cup, and hopefully some musicians will be able to hash out an unofficial single.

Pop-rock duo Chas and Dave were thought to have been writing an official World Cup anthem, but drummer and manager Nik Hodges merely said: "There's certainly no solid plan."

James Corden and Dizzee Rascal's unofficial 2010 anthem 'Shout' hit No.1 in the charts, while Comic Relief's version of Take That's 'Greatest Day' – featuring Gary Lineker, Glenn Hoddle, Michael Owen and Carlton Palmer was eventually dropped by the FA and never actually released as a single.

There is also no shortage of English bands who are football fans – Kasabian are known for their passionate support for Leicester, the Gallagher brothers are famed Manchester City fans and Adele is a massive Tottenham follower. Additionally, keen Liverpool supporter Miles Kane is due to release his third record this summer, and so a tune in time for the World Cup would be handy (not to mention that he is good mates with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner).

Additionally, England supporters can take inspiration from Liverpool fans who are usually very vocal with their sing-song, but have taken their stadium chants to new heights with this current Champions League campaign.

This year in particular has seen Reds chant 'Allez Allez Allez' when their team play in Europe, following in the lead of previous crowd-pleasers such as 2005's 'Ring of Fire' and 2007's 'Oh Campione'.


Past England World Cup songs 


Past great England anthems have been performed by the likes of New Order and the Spice Girls, and hopefully the tradition will continue this summer in Russia.

Here is a selection of past greats.

World Cup 1990, Italy: England and New Order – World in Motion

Liverpool legend John Barnes – following up from his iconic performance of 'The Anfield Rap' – collaborated with New Order and the squad to compose this electro-pop tune (which was also helped written by Keith Allen).

World Cup 1998, France: Fat Les – Vindaloo

A tongue-in-cheek anthem that was, in part, acting as a commentary about the hooligan nature of most World Cup anthems, the track was also penned by Allen and served as the unofficial anthem to the 1998 World Cup.

World Cup 1998, France: England United – (How Does It Feel to Be) On Top of the World

The actual official World Cup 1998 song, it was performed by one of the greatest British bands of all-time (the Spice Girls) as well as Echo and the Bunnymen and the Lightning Seeds. Its legacy was overshadowed by the success of 'Vindaloo', but it was still a great tune nonetheless.

World Cup 2002, Japan & Korea: Ant and Dec – We’re on the Ball

The duo reworked the old Arsenal anthem to support the Three Lions' World Cup efforts in South Korea and Japan.

World Cup 2006, Germany: Embrace – World at your Feet

The inoffensive alternative-rock tune that recalled the likes of Coldplay and Travis beat the likes of Crazy Frog and Ricky ('Come On England') to officially soundtrack the campaign in Germany.

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