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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Greg Evans

What song is played before games at the 2026 World Cup?

  • The 2026 World Cup, hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States, began on Thursday with Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in a packed Azteca Stadium.
  • Before the match, fans were treated to a spectacular opening ceremony, featuring performances from Shakira and Burna Boy. Shortly afterwards, the two teams entered the stadium soundtracked by, The Alan Parsons Project song “Sirius” . The song was also used at the start of the day’s second match between South Korea and Czech Republic.
  • The song by the rock duo, featured on their 1982 record Eye in the Sky, is essentially a two-minute instrumental to the album’s title track. Although “Sirius” wasn’t played as part of the song on radio it became a hit in its own right when Tommy Davis, who worked as an announcer for the Chicago Bulls began playing it before their NBA games in 1984.
  • 1984 just happened to be NBA legend Michael Jordan’s rookie year and the song rose to prominence as Jordan and the Bulls achieved unparalleled success in the 1990s. Other teams
  • The song has since transcended basketball to be used in films, TV shows, wrestling events and now the Fifa World Cup.
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