National Anthems: The Music of the World Cup
by Jordan Pearson (2013)
Edited by Hector Morales, Jesús Hidalgo, Paige Newhouse, and Bridget Willke (2015)
A Clash of Nations
International soccer is a nationalist spectacle. Two teams representing two nations come together to compete, often carrying the baggage of history between the two nations. We saw a prime example of this in the 2012 Olympics when South Korea played Japan. After the match, Korean player Park Jong Woo held up a sign, advocating the Korean claim on an island- a dispute that continues between the countries. (For a detailed analysis of the event and its ramifications, check out Jun Yoon’s post.) Park was not awarded his Bronze medal with the team (though he got it later) and was sanctioned by FIFA for his inappropriate politically motivated action. However, there is one time during international play that FIFA allows an act of explicit nationalism- the playing of each country’s national anthem.
The World’s Music
Playing the national anthem before a World Cup match is the pinnacle of nationalism. For 60-90 seconds, all the world’s attention is focused on the country, the players representing it, its flag, and its fans. The national anthem is representative of the country’s ideals, goals, history, and future aspirations. It embodies what it means to be a citizen.
Before each World Cup match both teams line up at centerfield and the national anthem from each country is played. An instrumental version of the anthem is played and it is customary for fans and players to sing the words. Here the clip of the National Anthems from before the US-England game in the 2010 South Africa World Cup (You can tell its 2010 from the vuvuzelas before and after the anthems).
Does it matter?
How important is the national anthem? Just weeks before the 2010 World Cup, Germany’s national soccer team lost public confidence not for losing their captain to injury, but for a lack of national pride. Simply put, many players on the ethnically diverse team did not sing the national anthem at friendly matches prior to the big event, upsetting many German spectators. Many questioned these players’ patriotism and if they had what it takes to represent Germany on the international stage. With some support from the coach and German Football Association, players convinced the public that they were very patriotic and proud to play for Germany, regardless of whether or not they belted out the national anthem prior to matches.
Interestingly enough, this debate continued leading up to the 2014 World Cup. Many Germans argued that players should sing the national anthem even if they had multicultural backgrounds, as it would show that Germany, today a nation of immigrants, is united. Other nations faced similar debate. Roy Hodgson, England’s national team manager, insisted on his players singing “God Save the Queen” to show their pride in England. 
We heard each country’s national anthem at least three times during the World Cup. That’s why I compiled a list of all the hymns that were played in the tournament and added the original lyrics with a translation in English.
You will also find my personal thoughts about the meaning of each anthem regarding the representation of what a “nation” is. Each hymn highlights a particular characteristic of its respective country. Sometimes, it emphasizes the geographical beauty of a territory or narrates part of the national history, while in a few cases it tells us about what values the nation underscores as part of its identity.
I hope that you find this information helpful and I look forward to your comments!
Here is a link to each of the pages, sorted by 2014 World Cup group.
Here is a list of all the countries in the 2014 World Cup, linked to their group page.
How to cite this article: “National Anthems: The Music of the World Cup,” Written by Jordan Pearson (2013), Edited by Hector Morales, Jesús Hidalgo, Paige Newhouse, and Bridget Willke (2015),World Cup 2014, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp (accessed on (date)).