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The much-anticipated UEFA European Championship returned to Europe this summer, hosted by Germany from June 14 to July 14, 2024. This event, a pinnacle in the world of soccer, brings together the best national teams from across Europe to compete for the coveted title. Germany last hosted a soccer tournament, the FIFA World Cup, in 2006. An event that is endearingly referred to in Germany as the “summer fairy tale” has been celebrated not only for its vibrant atmosphere, but also its associated music which has led to nostalgia within soccer fans around the world to this day. This year's tournament promises to be no different, with matches set to take place in ten cities across Germany, showcasing the nation's top-notch stadiums and passionate fan culture.

The UEFA European Championship in 2024 has drawn significant global interest. As of June 2024, over 2 billion people worldwide are expected to tune in to watch the tournament. In the host country Germany, around 1.5 million fans are anticipated to attend the matches in person.

Tournaments like the European Soccer Cup aren't just monumental for sports enthusiasts; they also significantly impact tourism, international relations, and music culture in general. Many official tournament songs have become global anthems over the years, with Shakira's “Waka Waka” from the World Cup being a prime example. Similarly memorable songs have been part of the UEFA European Championships, like Enrique Iglesias' “Can You Hear Me” in 2008 and Martin Garrix's “We Are the People'' in 2020.

The Official Song

For every European Championship or World Cup, UEFA or FIFA selects an official song to embody the spirit of the event. Historically, some of these songs have become global hits, such as the aforementioned Shakira hit “Waka Waka.” However, there has been a noticeable shift in recent years towards generic EDM tracks. This year's UEFA European Championship song, “Fire,” a collaboration between Italian EDM producers Meduza, US band OneRepublic, and German singer Leony,  exemplifies this trend. The song’s ambition is to resonate with a broad audience, capturing the energy of the tournament. Thematically, “Fire” explores new beginnings and passion, themes that are in alignment with current chart trends. Besides the main song, MEDUZA has also created additional music inspired by “Fire” to be used for team entrances, TV sequences, and special events like trophy presentations. 

“Football and music both have the power to bring people together,” said Philipp Lahm, tournament director of UEFA EURO 2024. “When I think back to Euro '96, 'Football’s Coming Home' comes to mind. For Euro 2024, we aim to celebrate the diversity of Europe and strengthen the sense of unity.” (Source)

Associated with the event is an official EURO 2024 playlist. It includes a wide array of official past anthems and current chart hits, as well as songs that every soccer fan will undoubtedly remember when watching these international tournaments — “We Are The Champions” by Queen can be named as just one striking example.

Important to highlight is the intention of associating music with the tournament that does not explicitly mention the sport. It is designed to have mass appeal and to be rhythmically and melodically catchy, while still capturing the essence of the event: passion.

Whether the song may sound slightly generic to some, the official Euro 2024 anthem is putting up some impressive figures. With nearly 20 million Spotify streams since its May 10 release, it strikingly demonstrates the song popularity that can be achieved through an event association like the Europe Cup. This also becomes increasingly clear when taking a look at the quarter of a million Shazams over the same time period. Through the targeted integration of the song into television broadcasting, radio, and social media, the song has already become inseparable from the tournament.

In line with the streaming boost, Meduza and One Republic have seen a significant boost in monthly listeners from European countries, most notably Germany.

The Fan Songs

Fan songs, created by and for soccer enthusiasts, form a crucial part of soccer culture. For Germany, this includes  “‘54, ‘74, ‘90, 2006” by Sportfreunde Stiller, a song written for the World Cup in 2006 that has long since been romanticized by German soccer enthusiasts. Tracks like these are deeply embedded in the soccer tradition, capturing the essence of the sport. This year, German content creators Aditotoro and Paulomuc have added to this tradition with their fan song “Füllkrug.'' The song follows the classic soccer song mold with its soccer-related lingo, humor, and nod to German national player Niclas Füllkrug.

Social media plays a decisive role in propelling fan songs to viral status, and this trend extends to tracks associated with this year’s Europe Cup. Notably, TikTok has emerged as a crucial platform for promoting and popularizing these songs, in contrast to past tournaments. An illustrative example is Nick Morgan's 2024 song “No Scotland No Party.” Even though the team did not make it past the group stage this year, their fan culture and music reached like-minded soccer fans all over the world. Sung to the tune of a well-known Argentine song about Diego Maradona's iconic goal against England in 1986, Morgan's rendition has reached significant attention.

Nick Morgan crafted this catchy tune to support the Scottish team in their game against Germany with lyrics including lines like “We know we ain’t no Argentina,” “Steve Clarke’s tartan army,” and “Even if we don’t win, we’ll boogie on in Berlin”. Lyrics that have deeply resonated with fans, fueling the song's popularity.

The song's viral success extends even beyond the UK. In Argentina, where the original tune holds cultural significance, Morgan's adaptation has been featured on television and radio, amassing over four million views on TikTok.

Additionally, countries all over Europe have been streaming the song, based on Morgan’s audience location, showcasing how the love for the sport is not limited solely to their home countries’ teams.

“It’s just crazy to think I’ve just been sitting in my bedroom deciding to work on a song on a guitar and then a few months down the line it’s on Argentinian TV, news programmes, big TV programmes, [I’m getting] friend requests, asking if I can come over [to Argentina]. It doesn’t feel real,” Morgan said. (Source)

“La mano de Dios” or “The Hand of God,” was originally released in 2000 by the late Argentine singer Rodrigo Bueno as a tribute to the legendary Diego Maradona and his 1986 goal of the same name. Morgan's creative reinterpretation of this iconic tune underscores the power of social media platforms like TikTok in transcending cultural and geographical boundaries, amplifying songs to a global audience.

The Television Anthems

Television anthems, played during broadcasts of the European Championship on public national German networks like ARD and ZDF, form another significant category of soccer songs. Frequent airplay helps these TV anthems to become synonymous with the tournament. A notable German example is “Auf uns” (meaning “to us”) by Andreas Bourani, which became the unofficial anthem of the 2014 World Cup. For the 2024 European Championship, Mark Forster and the band Provinz have released their contributions. “Wenn Du Mich Rufst” (“when you call me”) by Mark Forster and “glaubst du” (“do you believe”) by Provinz are the official EM soundtracks for ARD and ZDF this year. Although these songs do not contain explicit soccer references, their repeated use during broadcasts is likely to cement their association with the tournament, potentially transforming them into iconic soccer anthems over time. Steady radio spins for both tracks can be seen over the past 28 days, the preparation and beginning stages of the tournament.

Soccer Hits by “Accident”

Some songs unintentionally become soccer anthems, capturing the public's imagination and becoming unofficial hits. “Atemlos durch die Nacht” (“Breathless through the night”) by German pop and schlager icon Helene Fischer is a prime example, becoming an anthem during the 2014 World Cup despite being released a year earlier.

In 2024, “Major Tom (Völlig Losgelöst)” by Peter Schilling seems posed to follow a similar trajectory.

The song, originally released in 1982 and remastered in 2022, was featured in a recent Adidas campaign promoting the new official Germany jersey and played as goal music in the Germany-Netherlands match shortly before the tournament started.

Such serendipitous associations often lead to these songs becoming beloved soccer anthems, resonating deeply with fans and enhancing the overall tournament experience. With more than 16 million new Spotify streams, 4 million new YouTube views, and over a thousand radio spins in the past three months, the German “classic” is making waves. 

Deutschrap (German Hip-Hop) is Taking Over the Soccer-Inspired Music Landscape

By now, Germany is known even beyond its borders for its thriving hip-hop scene, also known as “Deutschrap". And this trend wave does not stop at the home tournament: well-known local rappers have taken on the task of putting their musical stamp on the European tournament. $OHO BANI, for example, has teamed up with German rock legend Herbert Grönemeyer for a new rendition of his 2006 World Cup hit: “Zeit, dass sich was dreht” (“time for something to spin”). 

Meanwhile, hip-hop superstar Luciano has collaborated with British rapper Aitch for their own soccer related song, “Baddies.” By sampling the famous “Baianá” by Barbatuques (a band known for their unique style of music that combines elements of Afro-Brazilian rhythms, samba, and beatboxing with body percussion), the two rappers have managed to release a real summer smash. Skyrocketing to over 16 million Spotify streams in the past month, the song was cleverly released just in time for the tournament. They’re benefiting greatly from their association with the home tournament, with the past month seeing a 1.1 million increase in Spotify monthly listeners for both $OHO BANI and Luciano.

As Germany is moving through the UEFA European Championship 2024, these diverse musical contributions — from official anthems to fan songs and unexpected hits — will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the tournament's cultural landscape, adding to the excitement and unity that soccer brings to millions of fans around the world.

Graphics by Sarah Kloboves and Nicki Camberg; cover image by Crasianne Tirado. Data as of July 3, 2024