Ever since Road To The World Cup 98 paired 32-bit goals with the raw energy of Blur’s “Song 2,” the annual FIFA soundtracks have become iconic. FIFA 99 helped turn Fatboy Slim’s “Rockerfella Skank” into a mainstream hit, and throughout the 2000s, the football game series helped define a generation’s listening habits. It’s why so many millennials can still sing every word of Kasabian’s “L.S.F.”, Gorillaz’ “19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)”, The Caesars’ “Jerk It Out”, and Bloc Party’s “Helicopter.”
Even in the age of streaming, landing a spot on FIFA, now known as EA Sports FC since 2022, remains a major milestone. Just ask Glass Animals, who credit their inclusion in FIFA 21 with helping “Heat Waves” become one of the most-streamed tracks in Spotify history. With the newest installment of the football series out last month, we asked several artists why being featured on the soundtrack still carries so much weight.
Before New Zealand duo Balu Brigada even released “So Cold,” fans were calling it a “future EA Sports FC banger” after hearing an early preview on social media. “It really shows how deeply people connect the game with the music,” says the band’s Pierre Beasley. “It’s become such a part of culture, it basically feels like its own genre now.”
The thundering, guitar-driven track dropped in the summer of 2024, right before appearing on EA Sports FC 25. “It’s wild to think about how many songs are released every day, so to be featured on something with that kind of reach—it’s hard to overstate how valuable that is,” adds Henry Beasley. Along with their global arena tour supporting Twenty One Pilots, “being part of that soundtrack gave the band a massive boost in both visibility and growth.”
Beyond the immediate spike in listeners, EA Sports FC offers artists something rare, longevity. “Music moves so fast now,” says Henry, pointing out how 30-second clips on TikTok can make or break a new artist. “But something like EA Sports FC becomes a time capsule. When people look back at 2024, ‘So Cold’ will be part of that moment because of the game, and that’s really special. It’s a cool cultural marker.”
While “So Cold” channels the energy of early-2000s guitar heroes like Franz Ferdinand and The Strokes (both past FIFA soundtrack regulars), EA Sports FC has always been broader than one genre. This year’s lineup includes plenty of guitar-driven artists, HAIM, Gurriers, Wet Leg, Pulp, The Cure, but also features PinkPantheress’ sleek “Girl Like Me,” BLACKPINK’s JENNIE with the explosive “Like JENNIE,” and Fred again.. teaming up with Skepta and PlaqueBoyMax on “Victory Lap.”
That mix is exactly what fans have come to expect. For Piri & Tommy, whose track “Nice 2 Me” appeared on EA Sports FC 24, the results were instant. “I was looking at Spotify for Artists, and you could literally see the day the game dropped, we started getting 5,000 extra streams daily,” says Piri. It wasn’t just one song that benefited either. “It brought more listeners to our whole catalog. It’s great when something like that feeds into the algorithm in ways you can’t even measure.”
Since breaking out with “On & On” in 2022, Piri & Tommy have been staples on Spotify’s Planet Rave playlist, though their sound also pulls from bedroom pop and indie influences. “Being on EA Sports FC made people realize we’re not just a dance act,” she says. “It introduced us to a crowd that probably wouldn’t have sought out our music otherwise. ‘Nice 2 Me’ is a dreamy, emotional song about relationships, it’s not your typical football anthem, but we’ve seen so many comments from players saying they discovered us through the game, and that’s amazing.”
With more than 120,000 new songs uploaded to Spotify every day, breaking through the noise can feel impossible. “There’s so much great music being released all the time, so getting chosen for EA Sports FC really can change everything,” Piri explains. “For us, it felt like a true ‘we made it’ moment. Being recognized by something so iconic gives you confidence. Any opportunity to reach a new audience is priceless.”
Steve Schnur, EA’s worldwide executive of music and marketing, has led the soundtrack team since 2002 and summed up their approach in a 2023 interview: “If it’s on the radio, it’s too late.” His mission, he says, is “to find and deliver the best new songs, the hottest artists, and the most exciting trends that will shape global music for the year ahead.”
That discovery process is what led Good Neighbours to their spot on EA Sports FC. “One of the team came to our first-ever show at London’s Sebright Arms,” recalls Oli Fox. “It was small, loud, and sweaty, and afterward this American woman came up to me and said, ‘I want that last song for the next EA Sports FC.’ A few months later, the email arrived. It felt like a movie moment.”
The band appears again on EA Sports FC 26 with “People Need People.” “It’s an incredible promotional boost,” Fox says. “With our debut album Blue Sky Mentality dropping a week after the game, it took some pressure off. Being on the soundtrack helps people understand who we are, it gives everything more context. It’s invaluable.”
Oli Fox grew up playing FIFA for hours with his brother Morgan, who went on to become a professional footballer and has been a playable character in the game since 2014. For Oli, the music left the bigger impression. “Hearing MGMT’s ‘Kids’ for the first time blew my mind, it made me want to play synths. I actually asked for one that Christmas.”
Years later, Good Neighbours formed around those same influences, Empire of the Sun, MGMT, Foster the People, Passion Pit, all artists Fox discovered through FIFA. “Now that our music’s in the game, maybe it’ll inspire someone else the same way,” he says. “It’s easy to forget your songs might be soundtracking someone’s childhood until something like EA Sports FC reminds you. At every show, I dedicate ‘Daisies’ to the FIFA crowd. It means the world knowing that song will always be part of football game history.”
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