Throughout the history of the FIFA franchise, or sports games in general, music has played an important part in helping to create some iconic memories. With FIFA 23 including what they call the “Ultimate Soundtrack” for its recent World Cup DLC, it’s time to go back in time to remember what the best FIFA soundtracks of all time are according to, well, me.
Best FIFA Soundtracks Of All Time
#5 – FIFA 09
If there’s one tune that resonates in my mind and is synonymous with FIFA, it’s MGMT’s smash hit “Kids” that was impossible to escape at the time.
Throw in a little Damian Marley, who seems to be a frequent contributor to the franchise’s soundtracks, and you have yourself a very solid track list to play in the background.
#4 – FIFA 14
Another FIFA iteration similar to FIFA 07 where there was a mid-cycle upgrade to better hardware that left the community split, FIFA 14 was one of my favorite games from a gameplay standpoint. The graphical upgrades from the PS3/Xbox 360 to the PS4/Xbox One was a huge leap, and EA followed suit with enhanced gameplay and some of the best movement mechanics the series has seen.
Along with these upgrades, FIFA 14 also featured one of the most popular soundtracks EA has ever put together. From a star power standpoint, FIFA 14 wasn’t a heavy hitter with only bands like Nine Inch Nails and Empire of the Sun carrying recognizable discographies. But like any good video game soundtrack, the goal was to provide a diverse sound and introduce people to different genres, and FIFA 14 accomplished just that. If there’s one song that truly defines FIFA 14’s soundtrack, it’s John Newman’s “Love Me Again” that was later picked up by the Just Dance franchise for their 2015 game.
#3 – FIFA 19
By the time FIFA 19 had released in late 2018, FIFA’s brand was already well established, to the point where the franchise was starting to attract some top-tier musicians for their official soundtracks. FIFA 19 was littered with such heavy hitters as Billie Eilish, Death Cab for Cutie, Gorillaz, and my personal favorite from FIFA 19, Childish Gambino.
#2 – FIFA 07
For the first iteration of FIFA on the Xbox 360 console, FIFA 07’s biggest impact on the series can be tied back to using the Impact Engine for the first time. While the Xbox 360 version was heavily stripped down to include only seven leagues, one of which was the Italian Serie A that only included Juventus, the game also featured a pretty good soundtrack. While English rock band Muse dominated the headlines in terms of featured artists, it featured perhaps my favorite FIFA song ever “Big Day from Tahiti 80.
Even now, some 15 years later, this song still gets the juices flowing.
#1 – 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
Back when World Cup games were actually World Cup games and not free, scaled-down content littered with problems and licensing issues, FIFA World Cup 2010 was a historic event. For the first World Cup to be held on the continent of Africa, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa featured a host of African musicians and/or African-inspired music. While the official World Cup song (“Waka Waka”) was oddly from Colombian pop star Shakira, the unofficial smash was “Waving Flag” from Somali/Canadian artist K’Naan.
Other prominent well-known artists featured on the FIFA 10 World Cup soundtrack included Damian Marley, Sia, Florence and the Machine, and Sergio Mendes to name a few.
What are your all-time favorite FIFA soundtracks and songs?
Related: How to fix lagging and frame drops in FIFA 23 on Dot Esports
