The World Cup song has become something of a lost art in recent years.
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Between the 1970s and 1990s, whenever a home nation qualified for a major tournament, the pop charts would be troubled by one of the era’s big acts penning a song and often working with the squad themselves.
While England’s best football songs have included the likes of World In Motion and Three Lions, Scotland’s have often been a tad more knowing - see 1982’s We Have A Dream or Del Amitri’s 1998 plea of ‘Don’t Come Home Too Soon’.
Amy Macdonald on her Scotland World Cup hope
Scotland’s dramatic qualification for next summer’s World Cup in North America sees them return to the biggest stage for the first time in 28 years and Scottish pop star Amy Macdonald - who released a football-inspired song Pride in 2012 - has already put her hat in the ring when it comes to an official song.
“Pride was written after I sang the anthem before a match against Spain – we did really well in that game and I felt so moved by the whole evening that I felt inspired to write,” she tells FourFourTwo, speaking before the Tartan Army’s win over Denmark that booked their place in the 2026 World Cup.
“I’ve never done a specific tournament song – I have thought about it, but it’s hard to get just right. You don’t want it to be too twee, but you want it to be catchy enough. Maybe if Scotland could get to a World Cup though, that will be an occasion that merits a song!”
Macdonald was ten years old when Scotland last played at a World Cup, but it left a deep impression on her.
“I remember coming home from school for the first match against Brazil,” she recalls. “My dad had taken a half-day at work, my mum was off, there was a big flag up on the window, and when John Collins’ penalty went in to equalise, I thought, “Oh my god, we’re going to do this.” Then inevitably we didn’t… It would be amazing if Scotland could qualify for a World Cup again – I’d definitely go over there to watch the games.”
Macdonald has also sung the national anthem before Scotland games on numerous occasions.
"The first time I was asked was a friendly against Argentina,” she continues. “Diego Maradona was their manager so I was standing on the sideline, waiting to go on, and he was stood right next to me! It was the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve ever done – you’re tasked with keeping everybody in time, but it’s impossible to keep football fans in time! The buzz you get though, with everyone singing, then hearing the roar, it’s an incredible feeling.
That game also provided her with one of the funniest moments she’s had at a match.
“Before the anthem against Argentina, all of the boys from primary schools around Glasgow were mascots, and I could hear them daring this one wee boy to get a high five off Maradona – they were all going, “Do it! Do it!”
“He did it, went up to Maradona and asked for the high five, then ran back screaming that he’d touched the Hand of God!”
