Twitter Reacts to Announcement of New FIFA World Cup Song; “No World Cup Song Will Ever Beat Shakira’s ‘Waka Waka’”

The FIFA World Cup soundtrack is one of the most important collections of music every year, and 2022 is no different. Each collection of songs is centered around bringing people together, and bridging the gap between athletics and music. “Hayya Hayya (Better Together)” by Trinidad Cardona, Davido, and Aisha is the first song to be selected for this year’s World Cup soundtrack.

However, many soccer and music fans are in agreement that FIFA has yet to top Shakira’s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” as the best World Cup song. “Waka Waka” was on the soundtrack for the 2010 World Cup, but quickly grew into a pop culture phenomenon. The song peaked at No. 1 in multiple countries, and No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Waka Waka” was later certified platinum for selling over one million units in the U.S. alone.

“no world cup song will ever beat shakira’s waka waka” wrote Twitter user @PopCulture2000s.

The lyrics to “Waka Waka” are all about encouragement and sportsmanship, making it the perfect fit for one of the world’s largest athletic tournaments.

You’re a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up and dust yourself off
And back in the saddle

While World Cup songs are typically upbeat and centered around community and camaraderie, “Waka Waka” was special because it was catchy and reflected the culture of South Africa, where the tournament was held.

When you fall, get up, oh oh
And if you fall, get up, eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
‘Cause this is Africa

The song inspired and empowered fans of all different soccer teams, but especially fans of the Spanish National Football Team, who won that year.

“Hayya Hayya (Better Together)” has received praise for bringing together artists from three different countries and cultures. Trinidad Cardona is a pop musician from Arizona, Davido is an Afrobeats sensation from Nigeria, and Aisha is a singer/songwriter from Qatar, where the World Cup will be held in 2022.

One of the only pitfalls of “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” was that many believed it should have been performed by an African singer instead of Shakira. Even though “Hayya Hayya (Better Together)” reflects the togetherness and blending of cultures that the World Cup promotes, most fans still don’t believe it will live up to the 2010 hit.

“The standards for the world cup songs are held so high because of masterpieces like this, nothing will pass this shakira track,” shared @CFC_Bando.

While many other World Cup songs have received high praise and become popular in the mainstream, few have achieved the widespread success of “Waka Waka.” Every World Cup song for the last twelve years has been held up against it, and it is likely that this comparison will continue for years to come.