How Oasis’ ‘Wonderwall’ Became the Unofficial Anthem for England’s Epic World Cup Run

The England men’s football team didn’t commission an official anthem for this year’s FIFA World Cup, but perhaps the answer was staring them in the face all along. After every match in the Three Lions’ current unbeaten run in the tournament, the team have lined up in front of their traveling supporters and been serenaded with one of the most popular rock songs in history: Oasis’ 1995 classic “Wonderwall.”

The song has since experienced a remarkable uptick in streams and sales; at the time of writing, the song is up to No. 2 on the Spotify’s top 50 global chart, trailing only Shakira and Burna Boy’s “Dai Dai,” an official anthem for the tournament. It has leapt 20 places week-on-week on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart and could go even further and best its previous best of No. 2. Fan edits of the team celebrating have flooded TikTok and Instagram feeds. (Even in the States, its streams are way up: “Wonderwall” collected 1.3 million official on-demand U.S. streams on Sunday, July 12 — the day after England’s quarterfinal victory over Norway — a 108% gain over the 605,000 streams the song posted the prior Sunday, according to early data provided by Luminate.)

The trend first began following the team’s opening match against Croatia on June 17, where they won 4-2 in a thrilling group match in Dallas, Texas. It was a typically English display: flashes of brilliance, moments of drama and despondency, and then sheer ecstasy and relief after a great escape. When the players approached their fans to thank them for the support, the in-stadium DJ dropped “Wonderwall” over the Tannoys and an instinctive moment was born: “I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now,” they screamed back following heroics from captain Harry Kane and talismanic forward Jude Bellingham. Kane has since called it one of his “favorite ever moments in an England shirt”. Fans watching at home may have had moist eyes, too.

On Wednesday (July 15) the song could get its loudest outing yet, should England overcome longtime rivals Argentina in the semi-final round. The match will take place in Atlanta, Georgia and should England win, it’ll make for their first World Cup final since 1966.

The two nations have a fraught history both on and off the pitch: Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ played a part in Argentina’s victory over England in the 1986 tournament, a scar that has never quite healed; David Beckham’s red card when the teams met in 1998 still aches. Tensions also persist over the Falkland Islands – known to Argentines as Las Malvinas – the South Atlantic territory under British rule since 1833; a two-month war in 1982 between the two nations resulted in nearly 1,000 casualties.

Unlike previous England anthems such as New Order’s 1990 U.K. chart-topper “World in Motion” and Skinner, Baddiel and The Lightning Seeds’ perennial “Three Lions” (which features the immortal “It’s coming home” mantra), “Wonderwall” does not feature any references to football. It continues an ongoing trend of adoptions of classic songs as unofficial hits for fans. One notable recent exmaple is Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” which became a fan favorite around the team’s run at the 2020 European Championships, where England lost in the final to Italy.

The journey of “Wonderwall” to becoming a treasured football anthem began in May 1995, written for the sessions for the band’s sophomore album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? Solely written by Noel Gallagher and sung by brother Liam, the song’s lyrics speak of a dependable ally: “It’s a song about an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself,” Noel told the BBC in 2002, having once said it was about his partner at the time, Meg Matthews.

The track became an instant hit, and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, the group’s highest-ever position on the chart. It is their most-streamed song on Spotify at 2.8 billion plays, double their second-highest (“Don’t Look Back In Anger”). It was virtually undroppable from the band’s live sets and proved an unsurprising highlight on the Live ‘25 comeback tour; a live version of the song was issued as a single following the rapturous response.

It’s a song that achieves a rare feat, blending melancholy and euphoria in the space of four minutes. Vague lyrics, a simple riff and a mix of vulnerability and bullishness in Liam’s vocals elevate the song. It also follows an English tradition of co-opting sentimental songs and infusing them with new meaning. Liverpool F.C.’s fans belt out “You Never Walk Alone” from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel before the start of every match, while Manchester City F.C. (“Blue Moon,” written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart) and West Ham United (“I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles,” an American big band standard) have also found songs to channel their emotions through every Saturday afternoon.

The Gallagher brothers have responded to the excitement accordingly. Speaking to The Sun following the win against Croatia, Noel said “‘Wonderwall’ belongs to the people, and it was a magical moment between the people and the players.” Following its rendition at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City following the team’s 3-2 over the hosts, Kane was caught speechless – quite literally – in a post-match interview. Liam wrote on X in response, “It’s hard work that singing Harry Kane cmon [sic] ENGLAND cmon WONDERWALL.”

It remains to be seen whether both Gallagher brothers will be happy if England goes all the way. While both can agree on Manchester City as their chosen team back home, in the international arena things get a bit tricky: While Liam has shown support for England, Noel has said in the past that he follows the Republic of Ireland instead of the Three Lions, owing to his parents’ Irish heritage. 

Speaking on TalkSport in late June, Noel said he is likely to attend the final regaerdless. “If England get to the final… my two lads, they’re England fans, they’ll be there,” he said. “I was like, ‘It will be just your luck, you jammy little sods. [Manchester] City winning four [Premier League titles] in a row and a Champions League and you see England win a World Cup final in New York while they are singing your dad’s song. Like their life isn’t good enough already.”

With only one more win to go before England have a chance to take home the most precious of trophies in the sport, the song could spur the boys into action. Can they go all the way? Can “Wonderwall” finally have its No. 1 moment? The answer to both: Maaaaaybe.