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July 14, 2026

A soundtrack to the World Cup semifinals

8 songs, 25 min 41 sec

	By Lindsay Zoladz

Fans of the Argentina team celebrating after a win over Switzerland in the World Cup quarterfinals. Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images

Dear listeners,

The World Cup semifinals begin this afternoon, with a stacked matchup between France and Spain. Now that the United States team is out of contention (and the less said about that game against Belgium, the better), I’ve been enjoying hopping shamelessly into other fan bases. How quickly things can change when you have no real rooting interest! A few weeks ago I was not even sure the Norwegian soccer team had qualified for this year’s tournament; now I am wearing my hair in a ponytail bun like Erling Haaland and annoying everyone in the gym by bellowing a Viking chant with each stroke of the rowing machine.

As the ranch-obsessed tourists visiting the U.S. this summer will tell you, exposure to other cultures is one of the great joys of the World Cup. In honor of that, I’ve put together a playlist of music from each of the four countries with teams remaining in the tournament: France, Spain, England and Argentina.

I decided to choose one classic song and one newer song to represent each nation, which means you’ll hear music from legends like Jacques Dutronc, Mercedes Sosa and even the Beatles alongside current smashes from the colorful Argentine duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, the melodic French rapper Mauvais Djo, and the reigning British hitmakers Sam Fender and Olivia Dean.

Of course, this playlist only scratches the surface of each country’s varied musical traditions, so consider it an invitation to dig deeper. No matter which team wins the final on Sunday, you’ll have some appropriate victory songs to cue up.

Also, if you read to the end of this week’s playlist, you’ll be treated to some special bonus tracks from Ben Sisario’s highly enjoyable new profile of the ex-Beastie Boy Mike D.

Pilé, pilé, pilé,

Lindsay

Listen along while you read.

1. Jacques Dutronc: “Les Cactus”

Let’s kick things off with this spiky and wittily sardonic 1966 rocker by the French national treasure Jacques Dutronc. “Le monde entier est un cactus / il est impossible de s’sasseoir,” he sings over a shambolic beat, meaning, “The whole world is a cactus / it’s impossible to sit down.” Sounds pretty difficult to play soccer under those conditions, too.

▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube

2. Mauvais Djo: “Pilé”

The current No. 1 song in France is this ecstatic and triumphant earworm by the Congolese-French rapper Mauvais Djo. “Pilé” is a quintessentially 2026 success story: The single was a minor hit when first released late last year, but it really took off this spring when the West African collective Kano Choir released an A.I.-generated gospel version of the song. Whatever works, I guess! The original and the gospel version have since gone viral, and both have been popular soundtracks for World Cup-related social media videos throughout the tournament. The French team has even been using the gospel version as one of its warm-up songs. So, if the squad you were rooting for fell to the French during this World Cup, blame “Pilé.”

▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube

3. Mecano: “Maquillaje”

One of the most successful Spanish groups of the 1980s was Mecano, a sibling synth-pop trio from Madrid. Though Mecano’s later releases expanded the band’s sound into something dreamier and more soft-rock-oriented, I appreciate the nervy post-punk of this early, tempo-shifting single, which satirizes the narrator’s obsession with makeup.

▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube

4. Rosalía: “Despechá”

This uptempo 2022 single by the Spanish pop phenom Rosalía is one of the songs that has played after the Spanish team wins matches — which means World Cup watchers have been hearing it a lot over the past few weeks. Rosalía was also spotted in the stands, with the national team’s scarf draped over her head, watching Spain’s 3-0 victory over Austria in the round of 32.

▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube

5. The Beatles: “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”

Pardon my trolling, but I was rooting for Norway in the epic quarterfinal match the team lost to England, so I figured that if I had to pick a Beatles song, it would be this one. I hoped that Erling Haaland would lead his squad of 21st-century Vikings to an improbable World Cup title, but alas, that bird has flown.

▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube

6. Sam Fender & Olivia Dean: “Rein Me In”

Though it hasn’t quite caught on in the U.S. — it’s been hovering around the bottom third of the Hot 100, after having peaked in April at No. 64 — this emotive duet between the British singer-songwriters Sam Fender and Olivia Dean has been an absolute sensation in England. Last week, it celebrated its 16th week atop the U.K. singles chart, making it the longest-running No. 1 single by a British act in chart history. “Rein Me In” needs to clock just three more weeks atop the chart to dethrone — of all things! — the American crooner Frankie Laine’s 1953 hit “I Believe” as the longest-running British No. 1 single. Right now, it looks about as unstoppable as a Jude Bellingham attack.

▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube

7. Mercedes Sosa: “Gracias a la Vida”

Though written and first performed by the Chilean musician Violeta Parra, this stirring Spanish-language classic was popularized in 1971 by the beloved Argentine folk singer and activist Mercedes Sosa, whose distinct contralto brings an impassioned beauty to Parra’s haunting tune.

▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube

8. Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso: “No Me Sirve Más”

Finally, when the madcap duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso’s irresistible Tiny Desk Concert went viral in late 2024, it introduced the Buenos Aires musicians to a larger global audience. They make the most of their increased profile on their hook-filled LP “Free Spirits,” which was released in March and features a wildly eclectic roster of guests: Jack Black, Anderson .Paak, Fred Again… and Sting. The pair’s bawdy humor and fluid shape-shifting is on display on “No Me Sirve Más,” a playful satire of conspicuous consumption that sounds — as do most Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso songs — like it was made by real-life cartoon characters.

▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube

The Amplifier Playlist

“A Soundtrack to the 2026 World Cup Semifinals” track list
Track 1: Jacques Dutronc, “Les Cactus”
Track 2: Mauvais Djo, “Pilé”
Track 3: Mecano, “Maquillaje”
Track 4: Rosalía, “Despechá”
Track 5: The Beatles, “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”
Track 6: Sam Fender & Olivia Dean, “Rein Me In”
Track 7: Mercedes Sosa, “Gracias a la Vida”
Track 8: Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, “No Me Sirve Más”

Bonus Tracks: Beastie Boy Mike D’s Illest Lines

Mike D Ryan Lowry for The New York Times

My colleague Ben Sisario just published a delightful profile of Mike D, one of the two surviving members of the Beastie Boys, who is releasing his first solo album, “Thank You,” next month. In honor of the piece (in which the musician reveals, among other charming details, that his two 20-something-year-old sons refer to him as “Mikey”), I asked Sisario to share some of his favorite Mike D rhymes.

“Beastie Boys” (1982)

B-E-A-S-T-I-E

That’s just what Beasties gotta be

Can’t you see this is an emergency?

Can you feel the urgency?

With Mike as its original lead vocalist, the Beastie Boys began as teenagers enamored with punk — “Beastie,” in classic hardcore youth-with-a-purpose style, originally stood for Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Inner Excellence — before turning to rap. Here they wear Bad Brains influences on their sleeves while Mike shreds his throat with lyrics ostensibly about a political crisis, but in reality about self-actualization.

“Paul Revere” (1986)

(The kid said) “Get ready, ’cause this ain’t funny

My name’s Mike D, and I’m about to get money”

Adam Horovitz’s tongue-in-cheek Beasties origin story puts the guys in a spaghetti western, with Mike introducing himself as a stickup robber with a gun.

“Shake Your Rump” (1989)

Running from the law, the press and the parents

(Is your name Michael Diamond?) No, mine’s Clarence

It’s easy to forget how notorious the Beasties were in their early days. This line, making cowardice into a bit, captures their impish charm in a nutshell.

“Pass the Mic” (1992)

I explode on site

I’m like Jimmie Walker, I’m “dyn-o-mite!”

It may be old hat now, but one of the Beasties’ true gifts was raiding the half-forgotten detritus of popular culture for ironic comedy value. Here Mike compares himself to the rubber-legged actor who portrayed J.J. on TV’s “Good Times,” with the character’s catchphrase sampled directly from the show.

“What We Got” (2026)

I need a Plan B

Retired M.C.

Secretly you tried to vet me

You think it’s over but you haven’t even met me

Mike’s new solo album, “Thank You,” is surprisingly candid and reflective as he raps about aging, the weight of parental responsibilities and, as he states here, his enduring tenacity.

Ryan Lowry for The New York Times A Beastie Boy Returns to the Mic, With Some Help Thanks to an assist from his sons, Mike D is set to release “Thank You,” the first new music from a member of the pioneering rap trio in 15 years. By Ben Sisario and Ryan Lowry

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Have feedback? Ideas for a playlist? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at theamplifier@nytimes.com.