Ever since Road To The World Cup 98 set scoring 32-bit screamers to the scrappy punk attack of Blur’s ‘Song 2’, the annual FIFA soundtracks have become the stuff of legend. 99 helped turn Fatboy Slim’s club-ready ‘Rockerfella Skank’ into a crossover hit and throughout the 00s, the football video game series defined the listening habits of a generation. There’s a reason so many millennials know every single word to Kasabian’s ‘L.S.F.’, Gorillaz’ ‘19-2000 (Soulchild remix)’, The Caesers’ ‘Jerk It Out’, Bloc Party’s ‘Helicopter’ and many more.
Despite the rise of streaming, a spot on FIFA (or EA Sports FC as it’s been known since 2022) is still hugely influential. Just ask Glass Animals, who credit their inclusion on 21 for helping turn sleeper hit ‘Heat Waves’ into one of the most-streamed songs in Spotify history. With the latest blockbuster instalment of the football series released last month, we asked some artists why securing a slot on the soundtrack is still so important.
“EA Sports FC anthem” is a genre
Before New Zealand duo Balu Brigada even released ‘So Cold’, fans were already calling it a “future EA Sports FC banger” after hearing a snippet on social media. “It just goes to show how many people associate the game with the music,” says the band’s Pierre Beasley. “It’s such a part of culture, it basically is its own genre at this point.”
The thundering, guitar-driven single finally dropped in summer 2024, shortly before it appeared on EA Sports FC 25. “It’s insane to think about the number of songs that actually get released every day, so to be on something that gets as much screen time as EA Sports FC… the value of that is not to be understated,” Henry Beasley tells NME. Alongside an global arena tour with Twenty One Pilots, “a spot on that soundtrack did wonders to help the growth and visibility of the band.”
The soundtrack is anti-viral
As well as giving Balu Brigada an instant boost in listeners, EA Sports FC also offers something more timeless. “A lot of music consumption is so immediate and fast-paced,” says Henry, with 30-second snippets of songs exploding on TikTok the difference between making or breaking a lot of new artists. “But something like the EA Sports FC is a real timestamp. Whenever people look back at the music from 2024, ‘So Cold’ will be a part of that conversation because of the game which is amazing. It’s just a cool cultural moment that feels very special.”
There’s more to the music than indie guitar bangers
While the swaggering ‘So Cold’ was “definitely inspired by some of the kings of noughties indie rock” such as Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes (two artists who’ve previously appeared on FIFA games), the EA Sports FC soundtracks have also championed alt-pop, hip-hop and dance. This year’s collection includes plenty of guitar bands (HAIM, Gurriers, Wet Leg, Pulp, The Cure) but makes space for PinkPantheress’ sleek ‘Girl Like Me’, the thundering K-pop inspired ‘Like JENNIE’ from BLACKPINK’s JENNIE and Fred Again..’s swaggering ‘Victory Lap (feat. Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax)’.
It’s something the fanbase has embraced. Piri & Tommy’s ‘Nice 2 Me’ is not the most obvious football anthem but after it was included in EA Sports FC 24, the glitching dance anthem had a huge boost on streaming. “I’m looking at Spotify For Artists now and I know exactly when the game was released, because we started getting 5000 more listens every day,” says Piri. It’s bigger than one song as well, with fans diving into their back catalogue. “It’s great that more people were listening to ‘Nice 2 Me’ but it also feeds back into the algorithm in ways you can’t quantify.”
Since they released their breakout debut single ‘On & On’ in 2022, Piri & Tommy have been a regular fixture of Spotify’s popular Planet Rave playlist, even though their music also takes inspiration from bedroom indie and alt-pop. “Being on the EA Sports FC soundtrack was the start of people realising that we don’t just make club music.”
“It also put our music in front of the FIFA crowd who, generally speaking, are probably not the sort of people who would typically look for Piri & Tommy tunes,” she continues. “‘Nice 2 Me’ is a little dreamier than your typical EA Sports FC track. It’s an unapologetically girly anthem about relationship problems, but we’ve seen plenty of comments from people saying they’re so glad they discovered us through that game.”
The soundtrack gives new artists a much-needed platform
Last year it was reported that more than 120,000 new tracks were being uploaded to Spotify every day, with new artists having to compete with that and the entire history of recorded music. “It’s so hard to break through the noise these days and there are so many amazing artists releasing great music, so being picked for EA Sports FC can be life-changing,” explains Piri, who describes their inclusion as a genuine “we’ve made it” moment. “I think it’s every artist’s dream to have a song on the soundtrack. Being recognised by such an iconic institution does give you confidence,” she continues. “Any opportunity to get yourself in front of a new audience is priceless.”
“I have one rule for my EA Music team: If it’s on the radio, it’s too late,” Steve Schnur, worldwide executive of music and marketing at EA who has been heading up the soundtracks since 2002, said in an interview last year. Instead, the goal is “to find, secure and deliver the best new songs, hottest new artists and most exciting new music trends that will move the global needle for the year to come.” It’s why one member of his team was down the front for Good Neighbours’ first ever show at London’s 150-capacity pub-turned-music-venue Sebright Arms. “It was sweaty and chaotic,” says the band’s Oli Fox. “Afterwards I was outside with my mates and this American lady came up to me and told me ‘I want the last song you played for the next EA Sports FC’.” A few months later, the official offer landed in Good Neighbours’ inbox. “It was like something out of a movie,” says Fox. They’re back on EA Sports FC 26 with ‘People Need People’.
“It’s such a huge promotional tool that it definitely takes a little bit of the weight from your shoulders,” he continues, with the band releasing their debut album ‘Blue Sky Mentality’ one week after EA Sports FC 26 launched. “A spot on the soundtrack gives people more context about who we are and what we do. It’s invaluable, really.”
The games are hugely influential
Growing up, Oli Fox and his brother Morgan spent hours together playing FIFA. Morgan went on to become a professional footballer and has been a playable character in the games since his debut for Charlton Athletic in 2014 while Oli was more influenced by the music. “I remember MGMT’s ‘Kids’ was the first time I ever heard synths like that,” and it changed everything. He asked for the same instrument that Christmas. When it came to forming Good Neighbours, Fox and bandmate Scott Verrill bonded over “nostalgic” artists he’d discovered via FIFA – Empire Of The Sun, MGMT, Foster The People, Passion Pit.
“Now our music is on there, maybe it will inspire the next generation,” says Fox. “It’s sometimes easy to forget that your songs are soundtracking a person’s coming-of-age until something like EA Sports FC comes around.” At every show, he dedicates ‘Daisies’ to the FIFA lads in the crowd. “It warms my heart to know that song will forever be a football game anthem. It’s a part of history.”