Every World Cup, two debates outlast the final whistle. One is about a number. The other is about a song. Long after a tournament ends, fans still argue over who wore the World Cup number 10 best, and over which anthem owned their summer. Neither shows up on a stat sheet, yet both sit at the heart of how we remember the game.
This is a look at the two pieces of World Cup culture that travel furthest: the number 10 jersey and the songs that score the whole show. One is stitched into a shirt. The other gets stuck in your head for a decade. Both are pure history.
Why the Number 10 Carries So Much Weight
The strange truth is that the most famous number in soccer started as an accident. Before the 1958 World Cup, Brazil’s football federation handed FIFA its squad list without assigning any numbers, so tournament officials gave them out at random. The 10 landed on a 17-year-old named Pele. He went on to win the tournament, score twice in the final, and refuse to wear any other number for the rest of his career. The shirt and the player grew into legends together.
From that point on, the 10 stopped being just a number. It became the shirt of the playmaker, the creator, the one expected to decide the biggest games. Handing a young player the 10 is a statement: we think you are special. That is a heavy thing to wear.
From Pele to Messi: Keepers of the 10
Every generation passes the 10 to someone who can carry the weight. Diego Maradona made it his own in 1986, almost single-handedly dragging Argentina to the title and turning the number into a symbol of genius and chaos in equal measure. Other greats borrowed its shine, from Zinedine Zidane’s elegance to a long line of national heroes. Then, in 2022, Lionel Messi lifted the trophy in Qatar wearing the same number 10, closing a circle that started with Pele more than sixty years earlier. The jersey ties them all together, across eras that otherwise share nothing.
The All-Time World Cup Anthems, Ranked
If the number 10 is the game’s memory, the anthems are its soundtrack. Every four years a song attaches itself to the tournament and refuses to leave. Here are the ones that stuck.
- Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) – Shakira ft. Freshlyground (2010). The official song of the South Africa World Cup is the one that beat them all. It is the best-selling World Cup song in history, holds a Guinness record as the most-streamed World Cup song on Spotify, and its video has passed four billion views on YouTube. Good news for 2026: Shakira is back, this time alongside Burna Boy on a new official FIFA song.
- Wavin’ Flag – K’naan (2010). The other giant of 2010, a Coca-Cola anthem whose hopeful chorus outgrew the tournament itself.
- The Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida) – Ricky Martin (1998). The official song of France 1998 helped launch a global pop career and still fills stadiums.
- We Are One (Ole Ola) – Pitbull ft. Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte (2014). The Brazil World Cup’s party anthem, performed at the opening ceremony.
- Live It Up – Nicky Jam ft. Will Smith and Era Istrefi (2018). The Russia World Cup’s official song, built for the closing-ceremony singalong.
Two Symbols, One Tournament
The number 10 and the anthem do the same job from different directions. One says the World Cup is about individual brilliance. The other says it is about everyone singing the same words at once. Put them together and you have the reason the tournament feels bigger than sport. As 2026 kicks off across North America, a new 10 will try to write the next chapter, and a new song will try to become the one nobody can forget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the number 10 so important in soccer?
The 10 is traditionally worn by a team’s main playmaker, the creative player expected to make the difference. Its prestige grew from legends like Pele and Maradona, so handing a player the 10 signals they are the heart of the team.
Who is the most famous number 10?
Pele and Diego Maradona are the most famous, with Lionel Messi the modern standard-bearer after winning the 2022 World Cup in the number 10. Each defined the shirt for his era.
What is the most popular World Cup song of all time?
Shakira’s Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) from 2010 is the most popular, holding records as the best-selling and most-streamed World Cup song ever.
What is the official 2026 World Cup song?
Shakira is returning to World Cup music for 2026, this time alongside Nigerian star Burna Boy on a new official song.
More 2026 World Cup Resources
- 2026 FIFA World Cup Central – schedules, brackets, and team guides in one hub.
- 2026 World Cup Bracket Maker – fill out and print your own 48-team knockout bracket.
- 2026 World Cup Standings – live group tables for all 12 groups.
- 2026 World Cup City Schedules – match-by-match guides for all 16 host cities.
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