Why England's World Cup goal song choice surprises fans in 2026

England fans sang along to Planet Funk's 'Chase the Sun' during their 4-2 win over Croatia in the 2026 World Cup.

Teams select anthem songs Proclaimers, AC/DC, Daft Punk, and Lynyrd Skynyrd share a connection this summer through the 2026 World Cup hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. These artists' songs were chosen by national teams to play after every goal scored as their official goal songs. England supporters, especially darts fans, heard Planet Funk's 'Chase the Sun' four times during their 4-2 victory over Croatia in their opening match on Wednesday night because the Football Association selected it as England's goal anthem for the tournament. ## Fan reactions to goal songs The song quickly became popular with England fans both in Dallas and back home, with sections of the crowd singing along even when the anthem wasn't playing. Scotland selected The Proclaimers' 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)' as their goal song, while Australia chose AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck' and France picked Daft Punk's 'One More Time'. The United States, as co-hosts, used a remixed version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Free Bird'. Germany and Curaçao faced an unusual choice with Peter Schilling's 'Major Tom', inspired by David Bowie, played seven times during Germany's heavy win over the debutants. ## Goal songs gain popularity Goal songs are becoming more popular in football, with clubs like Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace currently using them. During the first full round of group stage matches, 40 out of 48 nations scored at least one goal, meaning all teams had their goal song played at least once. England fans sang along to 'Three Lions' by David Baddiel, Frank Skinner, and The Lightning Seeds in Dallas after beating Croatia, and clips of the squad singing Oasis' 'Wonderwall' to fans went viral. ## Victory songs chosen by teams Teams also selected a second song to play at the end of a match if they won. Australia used Men At Work's 'Land Down Under' as their victory anthem after beating Turkey 2-0, with footage showing the song playing as fans and players celebrated in the stadium. The process was simple: each of the 48 nations' football associations submitted two songs, one for goals and one for victories. ## Unexpected song selections While many song choices reflected popular national anthems, some selections were more unusual. Austria chose dance artist Scooter's 'Maria (I Like It Loud)' as their goal song. The Czech Republic selected a modernized, upbeat version of The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' as their anthem, released by Mickie Krause. Switzerland surprised fans by picking Gala's 'Freed From Desire' as their goal song. ## More World Cup insights This article is part of the latest coverage from the Ask Me Anything team. Other recent stories include why Erling Haaland added 'Braut' to Norway's shirt, the World Cup's record holders, the oldest players to feature at a World Cup, how broadcast picks are made for the World Cup, and details about the FIFA World Cup 2026.