What will Argentina and France fans sing at the World Cup 2022 final?

Each team has a list of official songs that can be played when they score a goal

Blur singer Damon Albarn. The band's 1997 hit Song 2 is the official goal song for France during the 2022 World Cup. Antonie Robertson/ The National

The Qatar World Cup final will be a battle played on the pitch and heard in the stands.

Argentina and France come to the momentous match, kicking off on Sunday at 6pm Qatar time, with their own rich footballing traditions that also include eclectic songs.

The latter is down to an interesting, albeit little-known fact to the casual World Cup viewer, that some of the songs heard in the stadium are pre-chosen by the competing teams.

Prior to the tournament, the football federation of each World Cup team submits the songs they want to be played when their side score a goal, to tournament organisers Fifa.

For example, Qatar’s official choice was Hena Maak by the group Al Majmouaa, Saudi Arabia’s pick was Al Saudia by Rashed Al-Majed, while Allez Allez Maroc by Hamid Bouchnak was heard in the Khalifa International Stadium when Morocco scored their only goal in their crushing defeat to Croatia on Saturday.

What will Argentina fans be singing?

So what should Argentina fans expect to hear if Lionel Messi delivers another wonder goal tonight?

It will be the powerful sounds of rap/rock track Luz Delito by hip-hop star Wos. Released in 2019, it features the signature guitar riff of the 1996 song Luzbelito y las sirenas by Argentine rock band Patrico Patricio Rey.

Imbued within the lyrics is a warning to the opposition: "I have a thousand ways to fan the fire If I look at you seriously, I might burn you."

Another song making its mark with Argentine fans is Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar (Boys, Now We’re Excited Again).

Reworked from an older song by the group La Mosca Tse - Tse, the new version, released in 2019, has frontman Guillermo Novellis summon Argentina's mighty history of footballing greats, including Diego Maradona and Messi, in order to inspire the national team to clinch their third World Cup.

"Now we’ve got our hopes up again I want to win the third I want to be world champion," the lyrics say.

France's celebration songs for the World Cup 2022

Fans and viewers will be more than familiar with the gnarly guitars and "woohoo" chants of Song 2 by Blur, which France picked as their official goal celebration track.

Not only was it a hit in 1997, the song has become something of a ubiquitous presence in Qatar with France, alongside England, scoring an impressive 13 goals so far, the most of any side in the tournament.

With all these songs in the mix, we can expect the World Cup 2022 final in Qatar to be an epic and pitch-perfect footballing duel.

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