Sport

Five of the best soccer national anthems

posted by Chris Valentine

The soccer national anthem. It’s an invigorating and inspiring prelude to the main event, but sometimes it can also be an amusing one, watching players trying to remember the words to their song or belting it out at the top of their voices until their vocal chords start straining. But, there are some incredible tunes that send goosebumps down the spine. Here are the top five.

France – La Marseillaise

Written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, La Marseillaise was formally adopted as the Republic’s national anthem in 1795.

Its evocative lyrics and melody provides Les Blues with an outlet from which to get fully pumped for an upcoming game. In fact, the World Cup champions are performing so well of late that they regularly feature in betting picks and sport picks when there is an international break.

Italy – Il Canto degli Italiano

Almost akin to the French La Marseillaise in terms of popularity, and, is there any wonder why? Il Canto degli Italiano (The Song of Italians), written in 1847, starts off with an upbeat verse, and, although its second verse is merely a repeat of the first, it is one of the most passionately sung anthems to ever be heard on a soccer field.

If you are keen enough, learn the first verse and you are two-thirds of the way through the anthem. And, it will be one you will remember forever.

Brazil – Hino Nacional Brasileiro

Composed by Francisco Manuel da Silva in 1831, the Hino Nacional Brasileiro is a raucous and expressive anthem. Though rather a bit long and drawn out, it reaches a crescendo that sticks in one’s mind.

The World Cup semi-final in 2014 saw the Canarinha belt out its words in a brilliant spectacle – though the 7-1 defeat to Germany kind of overshadowed that.

Australia – Advance Australia Fair

First performed in 1878, it has only been Australia’s national anthem since 1984 when it replaced God Save the Queen, but Advance Australia Fair strikes a chord with its powerful lyrics and superb ending, though it has sometimes been criticised for ignoring indigenous populations.

It has been, and is, a surefire way of getting the Socceroos determined to serve their nation and rightly so.

Germany – Das Deutschlandlied

Though its lyrics may be a little self-indulgent – “Germany, Germany above everything” – das Deutschlandlied (The Song of Germany) was adopted as Germany’s national anthem in 1922, though it was composed in 1797 and given lyrics in 1841.

With a brilliant accompaniment and cymbals crashing, das Deutschlandlied can be recognised as soon as the music starts, though only the third stanza is sung at soccer events.

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