People REALLY Dislike The Jelly Roll World Cup Track

And perhaps, rightfully so?

Let me take you back to the year 2006. I was studying abroad in Costa Rica and the planet was about to have their quadrennial party, the World Cup. At the time, I didn’t “get” soccer, and I had no idea how big the tournament was. That year’s World Cup was in Germany and the first game of the entire tournament was the home side against Costa Rica. Let me tell you, the whole Central American country SHUT DOWN to watch the national team play. Stores were closed, taxis stopped running...it was a big deal.

I instantly got it. I became a fan of the sport right then and there. The one thing I remember from tournament away from the pitch was the official theme song. The track, a sweeping soundscape from German singer Herbet Grönemeyer was burned into my mind, forever!

That’s the thing about soccer. Between its tournament theme songs and video game soundtracks, the sport is so tied to music that they at times feel one and the same. We “Waka Waka’d” with Shakira when the World Cup was in Africa. Older folks remember when Ricky Martin told you about “La Copa Vida” in France ‘98.

Fast forward a couple of years, and in 2026 the World Cup is coming to North America. With the United States, Mexico, and Canada hosting games, it was time to come up with a theme song to truly capture the spirit of soccer. The powers that be decided to go with…country and “rap” artist Jelly Roll…? And Jelly (or is it Mr. Roll?) isn’t alone, as he’s paired with Mexican crooner Carin Leon in a song that’s so boring it’s offensive. I mean, listen to this:

And if you want to spare your ears the damage, here’s the opening lyrics:

Never felt this free before

I’m high and I’m getting higher

Chains don’t rattle no more

Good Lord, I’m feeling lighter

They were cold, cold, way too heavy

Wear me down like a broke-down Chevy

‘Til my soul, soul was good and ready

To lay them burdens down

I was shackled and battling in a war with myself

I was praying and praying my way outta that hell

Same old boots, but they’re off the ground

Devil, try to catch me now

In a word…what?

Is this supposed to be a song that’s supposed to get you hype for a sports tournament? Well, too bad! You’re gonna get a somber af church hymn. And sure, soccer is tough work for the players, but all people in the stands are going to do is sit and stand, not back-breaking labor.

And sure, songs that talk about soccer too much can be seen as cheesy, but how about a song that doesn’t even talk about soccer at all. Though humorously, it mentions a hardwood floor multiple times, like we were playing basketball.

And I’m not even blaming this syrupy, deep-twang country beat because the “God’s Country-America” aesthetic is all the rage these days. I was going to say that Canada dodged a bullet, but this song was produced by Cirkut, who hails from Ottawa.

By the way, I didn’t think people actually lived in Ottawa. I figured it was more like a state of mind than an actual city.

I will say the one thing FIFA did, which is pretty cool for this year’s soundtrack, is that all the host cities got theme songs. Nice.

But, back to the subject at hand: That awful 2026 theme song. The question I found myself wondering is, why do I care so much? Every tournament there’s an official theme song, but a bunch of unofficial songs come through that are just as good. I remember after “Waka Waka” was released, there were people who gravitated more to K’naan’s “Wavin’ Flag.”

But ultimately, this Jelly Roll track almost feels embarrassed to be a theme song. “Look, man. World Cups in three countries. We got guys from all three countries. Let’s bang this out and head to UFC after this.” It doesn’t seem worldly, it doesn’t get you hype play soccer, it doesn’t hit anything. I kind of wish it were cheesy because at least cheesy is trying to get its point across. If you want to know the cheesiest theme song for a sport is, click here. This track felt like Jelly had some old lyrics in the back of his notebook. Carin Leon was walking by on his way to the club and dropped his vocals, while Cirkut promised he could slap it together in 24 hours or less.

This fuggin’ guy.

And the thing is, I actually like Jelly Roll. That “ I Need a Favor” track is the closest thing I have to gospel in my rotation. I even loved it when he wrestled at WWE Summerslam. Don’t believe me?

But that World Cup song? That ain’t it.

Herbet Grönemeyer’s legacy doesn’t deserve this!