England’s 2026 World Cup campaign got off to the perfect start with a 4-2 win over Croatia in Dallas, and the celebrations in the immediate aftermath were given as much attention as the match itself.
As the Three Lions players made their way over to thank the travelling fans after the game, Oasis’ Wonderwall rang out around the stadium, with thousands of supporters belting out the 1995 classic together.
Several of Thomas Tuchel’s men were visibly moved by the moment, with a few even joining in. It quickly became a standout image of the tournament for England fans, and opened up plenty of conversation about how it was added to England’s array of songs and chants.
England have a long list of songs and chants, all of which will be sung at major tournaments. Check out our guide for the complete songbook.
Why England Fans Are Singing Wonderwall
Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck
The song wasn’t a spontaneous fan choice picked up on the night. Every country at the tournament was asked to submit a playlist of songs to be played in the stadium before and after their matches, and England’s selection, put together in consultation with fan groups, included Wonderwall alongside The Beatles’ Hey Jude and, of course, Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline.
‘Chase the Sun’ by Planet Funk was heard four times in Dallas on Wednesday night as England beat Croatia 4-2.
While all three got an airing after the Croatia win, it was Oasis’ track that clearly resonated most. As the players gathered in front of the supporters at one end of the pitch, led by captain Harry Kane, the crowd’s rendition of the song took over the stadium, with Jude Bellingham and others mouthing along to the words.
Watch England’s rendition of Wonderwall:
Wonderwall Lyrics
Today is gonna be the day that they’re gonna throw it back to you
By now, you should’ve somehow realised what you gotta do
I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now
And backbeat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is out
I’m sure you’ve heard it all before, but you never really had a doubt
I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now
And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
But I don’t know how
Because maybe
You’re gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You’re my wonderwall
Today was gonna be the day, but they’ll never throw it back to you
By now, you should’ve somehow realised what you’re not to do
I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now
And all the roads that lead you there were winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
But I don’t know how
You’re gonna be the one that saves me
I said, “Maybe (I said maybe)
You’re gonna be the one that saves me
I said, “Maybe (I said maybe)
You’re gonna be the one that saves me (saves me)
You’re gonna be the one that saves me (saves me)
You’re gonna be the one that saves me” (saves me)
Oasis and Players’ Reaction
Pawel Andrachiewicz / PressFocus via Reuters Connect
The moment did not go unnoticed by Oasis’ lead guitarist and primary songwriter, Noel Gallagher. Despite previously saying his footballing allegiances lie with Ireland rather than England, he gave his blessing for the song to be adopted by the Three Lions’ supporters.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Gallagher’s message was simple:
“For your information, that song belongs to the people.”
England’s players were just as taken by the occasion. Harry Kane described it as one of his favourite moments in an England shirt, whilst Declan Rice was similarly moved, telling the BBC that being a player for England at a major tournament “feels different.”
Jordan Pickford also spoke about how much the players feed off that kind of backing from the stands, with the goalkeeper expecting even bigger numbers as the tournament progresses.
“The next two games, I think we’ll see a lot more numbers [of fans] coming over. We all love it. We’re all passionate people, and we know the England fans are passionate as well. It drives us.”
Do Other Fans Sing Wonderwall?
It’s also worth noting the Manchester City connection running through the squad. Four of England’s 26-man squad are City players, and it’s a well-known fact that the Gallagher brothers are avid fans of the Citizens, with Wonderwall already holding anthem status at the Etihad. Defender John Stones is good friends with Noel, and at one point put together a playlist with him back in 2018.
Outside of Manchester City and England, it also has a place in MLS. Minnesota United regularly play the song after their matches and even have a 2,920-capacity safe standing area named “The Wonderwall.”
Even with their comeback in 2025 boosting streaming figures, the track reportedly surged by 50 per cent in the UK in the days following the Croatia match, according to Spotify.
Both Senegal and Iraq head into their final World Cup group-stage fixture this week with qualification for the knockout stages still a strong possibility, despite both nations having lost their opening two games. It has been a massively disappointing summer so far, especially for the Lions of Teranga, who arrived in the USA, Canada and Mexico with a dark-horse reputation.
Having proved their credentials by going all the way to win the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year (before a ruling later handed Morocco the title after Sadio Mane’s teammates broke a major rule by protesting the referee’s decisions during the final), many onlookers would have expected more than 3-1 and 3-2 defeats to France and Norway.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s 3-0 and 4-1 losses against the same opposition have cast even more doubt over their ability to mount a comeback.
Despite that, an explanation has emerged as to how both nations can still rescue their campaigns and reach the knockout stages from zero points.
How Senegal and Iraq Can Still Qualify for Knockouts from Zero Points
Given the scale of their defeats, many would assume Senegal and Iraq’s hopes of reaching the round of 32 are already over. In most other World Cup groups, that would be true, with Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia and Jordan all eliminated after losing their opening two matches. However, Group I presents a different scenario.
Despite their difficult starts, both Senegal and Iraq still have a pathway to the knockout stages heading into Friday night’s final round of fixtures. The reason is simple: the two sides face each other in their final group-stage match, creating what could effectively become a knockout game depending on results elsewhere in the tournament.
Under the expanded 2026 World Cup format, eight of the 12 teams that finish third in their groups will advance to the round of 32. According to FIFA, those teams are ranked first by points earned during the group stage. If teams are level on points, goal difference is used as the first tiebreaker, followed by goals scored if necessary.
As a result, both Senegal and Iraq remain firmly in contention. Victory in their final group match – particularly by a convincing margin – would improve their goal difference and strengthen their chances of claiming one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed spots.
Who They Could Face in Last 32
REUTERS/Mike Segar
As things stand, Senegal are the clear favourites to beat Iraq in their final Group I fixture, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages. Should they secure progression to the round of 32, their potential opponents are not yet confirmed.
However, based on the tournament bracket, a third-placed Senegal side would face one of the teams that finishes top of Groups A, B, D, G, K or L. At present, the leaders of those groups are Mexico (Group A), Canada (Group B), the United States (Group D), Egypt (Group G), Colombia (Group K) and England (Group L).
Just days before the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA have launched a mission to change a significant rule for penalty shootouts.
The first post-group-stage matches will take place on Sunday, so a final decision will need to be made before then. It’s a significant development considering the 2022 version of the tournament was decided by spot kicks.
Argentina defeated France in that Qatar showdown, with Lionel Messi’s side also similarly getting past the Netherlands.
FIFA’s Proposed Penalty Shootout Change
It seems a rather simple alteration to the current rules, but could prove to make things fairer. FIFA have asked the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to change the pre-penalty routine according to The Times.
The governing body of world football want to remove one of the two coin tosses that currently take place. These are used to decide which goal is used for the shootout, and which team takes the first spot kick.
Under the new rule, there would only be one. The winner would choose whether they want to take the first kick or decide the goal.
Police have issued a statement after a crowd crush at a World Cup watch party left one person dead and eight others injured on Monday night.
The incident took place during Jordan’s 2-1 loss to Algeria, a result that saw the Middle Eastern nation bow out of the competition following their 3-1 defeat to Austria a week earlier.
With their final group-stage match coming against Argentina – the reigning world champions, who now boast the competition’s all-time leading goalscorer after Lionel Messi scored five goals in his first two outings this summer – the FIFA-ranked No. 64 nation needed a positive result this week to keep their hopes alive.
Local Authorities Issue Statement After World Cup Watch Party Incident
Kai Pfaffenbach via Reuters
Thousands had gathered at Hashemite Square, next to the Roman Theatre in central Amman, the country’s capital, to watch the national team’s second match of the tournament on giant screens, hoping they could produce a result in their World Cup debut.
Sadly, the venue became overcrowded, as per the Guardian, leading to a crowd crush. The open-air site can host around 6,000 people but, according to a ministerial source, 15,000 turned up. A spokesperson for Jordan’s public safety directorate said:
“Nine people were taken to hospital at dawn on Tuesday after being injured in a crowd movement in Hashemite Square. One of the injured died shortly after being admitted.”
The others undergoing treatment have various injuries and their conditions are described as being from stable to moderate, with no life-threatening injuries.
Social media snippets from around the world of sport.
Jordan’s World Cup Fate Sealed
Darren Yamashita / IMAGN Images via Reuters
Jordan have dispatched teams with greater pedigree in the past few years to reach both the Asian and Arab Cup finals. But allowing opponents to dictate possession ultimately proved counterproductive when taking on sides with far more experience overseas than themselves, with both Austria and Algeria finding victory against them pretty smooth-sailing.
Still, the fact they made it this far means they will head home as heroes, regardless of what happens against Argentina next week. What’s more, they still managed to score goals in each of their defeats, meaning they never went out without a fight, while leaving the dressing room in pristine condition on both occasions earnt them a reputation as respected opponents in the USA.
