Oasis' "Wonderwall" as England's World Cup anthem – and the Gallaghers themselves don't like the song

Background: Brothers, band and break

The fact that "Wonderwall" of all songs became a perennial fixture at England tournaments is surprising – because the Gallagher brothers themselves are distant toward the song. Liam Gallagher once told "Far Out Magazine": "At the beginning I didn't like the song. I found it kind of weird." The songwriter himself, his brother Noel, remains skeptical to this day. When asked why he believed "Wonderwall" was the first Oasis hit to break the one-billion-streams mark, he told "MOJO" magazine: "I have no idea."

The Gallaghers and their song: a troubled relationship

Noel went even further and explained: "Wonderwall is one of my least favourite songs, because it isn't finished." The situation between the brothers was so tense for years that as late as 2011 Liam still took aim at Noel: "He's a miserable little shit." And when asked about a renewed collaboration, Liam once said: "I'd rather eat my own shit than be in a band with him again." The sibling feud is considered one of the most legendary in rock history.

What the song lyrics actually say

As for the song lyrics themselves, "Wonderwall" is about the hope that a special person provides support and could emotionally save you. "But after all, you're my wonderwall", goes the chorus. Noel once formulated his view of the subject to the "Sun" like this: "And how do you tell your wife it's not about her once she's read it?"

FIFA sees parallels – hope as a motif

At the current World Cup, "Wonderwall" is nonetheless ubiquitous. Whenever the England team wins a match, the song isn't far away. Harry Kane reported a special moment in a podcast: "The first spontaneous communal singing of the song was one of the most beautiful moments I've ever had in an England shirt", Kane said.

Reactions: Kane, Liam, Noel and the fans

On the FIFA website there is currently a longer report on "Wonderwall" to be read, in which the world governing body explains why the hit fits so well with the Three Lions, who are notoriously unsuccessful at major tournaments: "The lyrics are about a figure who seems to have lost the fire in the heart that once drove her, but who deep down never doubted her own abilities. In fact, 'Wonderwall' has been associated with hope since it was created." In 1966, England became world champions for the first and only time; the team has never won the European Championship.

After England's World Cup opener, Noel already judged: "'Wonderwall' belongs to the people and it was a magical moment between the people and the players." On Liam Gallagher, who himself celebrates from the stands, the song's performances apparently make an impression. After England's nervy victory against DR Congo, he wrote: "Come on, England. Come on, 'Wonderwall'." Which Oasis song he himself would choose as a World Cup anthem? When asked, Liam named "probably 'Some Might Say'".

FIFA sees more than just a piece of pop culture in the phenomenon. The entwining of song and team points to a decades-long longing: England has been searching for a second major title since 1966. "Wonderwall" now accompanies that search through the tournament – with or without the approval of its creators.

The fact that "Wonderwall" has served as England's World Cup anthem for years is also a piece of pop history: a 1990s song that once defined the spirit of a generation can now be heard in stadiums and pubs around the globe whenever English players step onto the pitch. The brothers themselves – as many of the facts show – don't particularly like the song "really", as the reports put it. But the attribution to the team has long belonged to the fans.

The whole thing is embedded in the broader Oasis context. Hits like "Wonderwall" made the band world-famous; the brothers' break-up is among the best-documented in rock music. Their 2025 reunion tour was celebrated by many as a musical event. The fact that their perhaps most contested song now carries England through a tournament is the punchline no one in Manchester in 1995 could have foreseen.

What comes next musically remains open. What's certain: in English stadiums and fan pubs, "Wonderwall" will ring out thousands of times again at this World Cup – accompanied by a team that hopes for the second major title since 1966. FIFA puts it neatly: the song is about hope, and that is precisely what the Three Lions need anew at every tournament.