BCCI's honorary secretary Jay Shah said the star batter 'inspired millions worldwide with his heroics with the bat and immaculate display of character'
"Light The Sky", the latest official song for the Fifa World Cup 2022, has arrived.
The foot-tapping number features stunning vocals from Emirati singer Balqees, Moroccan-Canadian celebrity and Bollywood sensation Nora Fatehi, Iraqi superstar Rahma Riad, and Moroco's award-winning singer-songwriter Manal.
The spellbinding ensemble of four of the Arab world’s most famous female sensations doesn't just feature English – Hindi, and a little bit of Moroccan Arabic, are interspersed in the anthem as it pays tribute to women on the field.
Here's a look back at 5 more of football's biggest event's most memorable songs – those that were universally well-received, and one that was not.
Written, composed and produced by Shakira and John Hill, the irresistibly catchy Waka Waka quickly cemented itself in the annals of music history as one of the best-selling singles of all time. It borrows largely from the original Cameroonian song "Zamina mina (Zangaléwa)", the lyrics of which encourage listeners to aim for their goals like soldiers on a battlefield.
Waka Waka's accompanying music video racked up a staggering 3.2 billion views, and the song has become synonymous with the World Cup in the years since its release.
The song was originally released in 2009, written for the people of Somalia and their aspirations for freedom – but it became a global smash hit when selected as Coca Cola's promotional song for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
A version of the pride-stirring anthem aimed at international markets was released with additional lyrics featuring will.i.am and David Guetta, and it climbed to the Top 10 of more than 20 different charts around the world.
The reggaeton-infused techno single featuring American rapper Smith and Kosovo Albanian singer Istrefi has been one of the most polarising songs to emerge from the World Cup's soundtrack in recent years. Its release was marred with controversy, with many criticising its generic sound, lyrics and overall message.
Others, however, were more lenient, praising the song's melodic chorus and zesty rap. "At the end of the day, we just want to see the world dance!", Smith had said in a statement.
Despite mixed critical opinions, the music video has since amassed nearly 40 million views.
Also known as "The Cup of Life", the iconic single was created by Ricky Martin specially for the 1998 World Cup, upon Fifa's request.
The highly well-received song burst into global prominence almost immediately, with Martin's performance in Paris at the World Cup's closing ceremony seeing an estimated 2 billion viewers tune in worldwide.
In the years after, the samba-rooted Latin pop single became known as a game-changer for Latin music globally – it was even credited by certain media outlets for ushering in the "Latin explosion".
Recorded by Cuban-American rapper Pitbull for the album 'One Love, One Rhythm', We Are One was the official song for the 2014 World Cup, and released to sizeable commercial success – steadily hiking up charts to reach the Top 20 in countries including France, Italy and Spain, as well as the Cup's host country Brazil, and peaking at Number One in three more countries.
The music video, intended to simulate the festive season 'Carnival' in Brazil, sees Pitbull, Leitte and Lopez celebrate football's biggest event in a parade of prismatic colours and celebration. As of October 2022, the video has amassed over 848 million views.
ALSO READ:
BCCI's honorary secretary Jay Shah said the star batter 'inspired millions worldwide with his heroics with the bat and immaculate display of character'
Amidst the sport’s global growth organisers Ethara will host a special event at Louvre Abu Dhabi to announce details of the race’s 16th edition on December 6-8, 2024
With their luggage missing, the youngsters entered the competition without their UAE jerseys - but what they didn't lack was the motivation to perform for the country
The American reinforces his dominant position as No 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking for a fourth victory in five outings
Former Ryder Cup player employed a unique putting technique to edge David Toms for first victory in five years
A former amateur champion in the UK the Newcastle-native says his short game has improved since relocating to the UAE
Chevron Championship victory by the daughter of former Czech tennis great was her fifth successive win on the LPGA tour
Among them are 17 of the top 20 players in the current rankings including a host of Emirates Golf Federation invitees