American streamer and internet personality, Darren Watkins Jr., widely known as IShowSpeed, has generated widespread discussion online after unveiling his self-styled tournament anthem, “World Cup (Champions).”
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the energetic music video debuted on YouTube on June 1 and quickly gained traction, attracting more than 3.3 million views and hundreds of thousands of likes within its first 24 hours.
The song prominently showcases football-inspired chants from different nations, with Ghana receiving special attention.
The video also features the country’s national colours, traditional dancers and cultural displays, reflecting IShowSpeed’s connection to Ghana, where he was granted honorary citizenship.
Following the song’s rapid rise in popularity, Watkins reached out to the Federation of International Football Associations on social media, urging the governing body to consider the track as the official anthem for the tournament.
FIFA’s verified account responded with a brief but intriguing message: “We will be in touch.”
The exchange immediately sparked conversations among football supporters and online commentators, many of whom began comparing the YouTuber’s independently produced anthem with the tournament’s official soundtrack, “Goals” by Lisa, Anitta and Rema, ahead of the competition scheduled to begin on June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Reacting to the viral release, an X user, @yetunede, praised the content creator’s cultural representation, posting, “IShowSpeed putting Ghana on his back for this World Cup video is everything.
“The energy, the flags, the dancers, this feels more organic and alive than the actual official song. Ghana to the world!”
Another commentator, @hindisilencio, echoed the sentiment, writing, “FIFA needs to stop overcomplicating things and just make this the official anthem.
“Over 3 million views in less than a day for an independent release show exactly what the streets want to hear when the matches start.”
However, not everyone was convinced. Some music enthusiasts defended the official tournament soundtrack and questioned comparisons between the two productions.
Expressing counter-views, @Danyflamez3 tweeted, “People comparing this Speed video to Rema, Lisa and Anitta’s ‘Goals’ must be joking.
“One is a globally produced, multi-million-dollar masterpiece by Cirkut, and the other is just streaming noise. Let’s keep standard music separate from content creation.”
Similarly, @lawizzygotswag expressed reservations about FIFA’s response, stating: “FIFA saying ‘we will be in touch’ is hilarious but risky.
“You can’t sideline established global artists who spent months crafting a multilingual anthem just to chase clout with a YouTuber’s viral video at the eleventh hour.”
As of the time of filing this report, FIFA had not issued any official statement regarding possible changes to its musical programme or opening ceremony plans, NAN reports.
