Jelly Roll Drops First Song of 2026 World Cup Soundtrack
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take the United States, Canada and Mexico by storm this summer, and one of America's most notable musicians will lend their talents to the official soundtrack.
On Tuesday, FIFA revealed the first single from the official World Cup soundtrack, and it features a top star in the world of country music.
Grammy award winner Jelly Roll is a featured artist on "Lighter," where he's joined by Mexican musician Carin Leon. Renowned producer Cirkut also worked on the song, following his previous efforts with artists like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears.
The song officially releases on Friday.
The first song of the Official FIFA World Cup 2026™ Album, Lighter, by @JellyRoll615 and Carín León drops this Friday. Pre-Save now. pic.twitter.com/MmDr11FDqK
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 17, 2026
World Cup Bringing Cultures Together
Much like this year's World Cup, the song is a mashup of different sounds and cultures. "Lighter" combines Jelly Roll's southern, country sound with Leon's take, which harkens back to more traditional and classic Mexican music.
Jelly Roll is featured on this year's World Cup soundtrack after winning three Grammy awards at the most recent ceremony. His victories come after he earned his first career nomination in the Best New Artist category back in 2025.
In an Instagram caption on Monday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that the soundtrack for this year's event will feature "established stars and new voices representing different styles and different cultures from around the world...collaborating to create one global rhythm that will celebrate our beautiful game."
More songs will be released in the coming weeks and months, leading up to the official kick-off of the historic tournament in mid-June.
86 days to go until #FIFAWorldCup 2026...
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 17, 2026
The summer of '86 belonged to Diego Maradona. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/rdR6mlFncf
Historic Event Set For Multiple Nations This Summer
Mexico will host the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as they'll take on South Africa at Estadio Azteca on June 11. The United States will meet Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in California on June 12, and the final host nation Canada will play a yet-to-qualify opponent on that same day at BMO Field in Toronto.
The USMNT's kits for the 2026 World Cup are here ???????? pic.twitter.com/6z7SRHN8I3
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 16, 2026
The United States will look to advance to the knockout round of the World Cup for the second consecutive tournament. The team lost to the Netherlands in the round of 16 in 2022 after failing to qualify for the 2018 edition of the event. The US men's national team finished in the round of 16 in 1994, the last time that the United States was a host nation.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first since 2002 (Japan and South Korea) to be hosted by multiple countries. It will also be the first to be hosted simultaneously by three nations, a trend that is set to continue with the 2030 event.
Spain, Portugal and Morocco will be the main hosts in four years, but special games are also planned in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to commemorate the tournament's 100th anniversary.
We'll see which other artists add their talents to the 2026 World Cup soundtrack as the tournament draws closer over the next few weeks.