FIFA has unveiled the 2026 World Cup anthem, DNA, a collaboration between Andrea Bocelli, David Guetta, Megan Thee Stallion, and EJAE. However, the track's journey to release was anything but smooth, according to songwriter Daniel Goudie.
Songwriters Left in the Dark
Daniel Goudie and his composing partner Ashley Milton, known as production duo Laconic, helped write the original version of DNA but had no idea it would be released. 'We'd had quite a roller coaster experience with this song,' Goudie told Metro. 'Up to the last minute, even yesterday morning, we weren't sure if it was actually happening.'
The confusion was compounded by the earlier release of another official World Cup song, Dai Dai, by Shakira and Burna Boy. 'It has been a bit confusing,' Goudie admitted. 'That's actually been part of the roller coaster for us, because we've not been kept in the loop.'
From Berlin Workshop to World Stage
DNA began as a lyrically focused emotional number about self-acceptance, created at a workshop in Berlin. The songwriters, including Fast Boy and Norma Jean Martine, had no home for the track until Bocelli's team expressed interest. 'They were looking for songs for this World Cup,' Goudie explained. 'And the musical feeling, the melodies and the chords, it just felt like they spoke to a World Cup kind of occasion.'
The lyrics were tweaked to be more football-focused, and after Bocelli and FIFA gave the sign-off, the track was finalized. Goudie noted that songwriters are often the last to know about releases, calling the industry 'absolutely no regulation' and describing songwriters as 'least well paid, least well informed, and least well respected.'
A Surreal Experience
Despite the chaos, Goudie is thrilled that DNA found its way into the world. 'It feels quite surreal,' he said, adding that the track is likely to become his biggest ever song. He doesn't mind if football fans get tired of it over the summer: 'If people don't like it, I'm not going to be upset about that. But I hope that they do and that people feel a sense of togetherness through the competition.'
Goudie, who also runs Real Culture, hopes for better treatment of songwriters in the future. For now, he's just happy to have his name attached to the official World Cup anthem.
