SEOUL (ANN/THE KOREA HERALD) – As the FIFA World Cup grows into a global cultural spectacle, K-pop artists are increasingly making their mark on football’s biggest stage.

Following BTS member Jungkook’s historic performance of Dreamers at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Blackpink’s Lisa has joined the 2026 tournament soundtrack with Goals, one of several K-pop releases linked to the competition co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Lisa scores with official World Cup anthem

Released on May 21 as part of the tournament’s official album, Goals sees Lisa blend Latin pop, K-pop and Afrobeats alongside Brazilian singer Anitta and Nigerian star Rema.

Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Cirkut, the multilingual track features Afro-inspired rhythms and is among the most prominent K-pop contributions to this year’s World Cup.

Lisa is scheduled to perform the song during the opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles alongside Katy Perry and Paraguayan singer Marilina Bogado.

TWS backs South Korea

Boy group TWS will release Dream With Us ahead of the tournament, offering support for South Korea’s national football team.

Although not part of FIFA’s official soundtrack, the song promotes unity and perseverance, carrying the message that “miracles begin when we believe together”.

The group, which became an ambassador for the Korea Football Association last year, first performed the track during a friendly match involving South Korea.

Dynamic Duo and Woodz release stadium anthem

Hip-hop duo Dynamic Duo and singer-songwriter Woodz have teamed up for Watch It, Feel It, a World Cup-themed version of JTBC’s popular brand song.

Featuring heavy basslines and energetic beats, the track aims to capture the determination of South Korea’s national team as it heads into the tournament.

‘Dreamers’ remains the benchmark

Despite the new releases, Jungkook’s Dreamers remains the defining K-pop World Cup song.

Performed with Qatari singer Fahad Al Kubaisi during the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup, the track blended K-pop with Gulf-inspired musical influences and became a global hit.

The music video has surpassed 450 million views on FIFA’s YouTube channel, making it one of the most-watched World Cup songs to date.

Jungkook is also expected to return to the World Cup stage with BTS during the tournament’s final match halftime show in July, further cementing K-pop’s growing presence at football’s premier event.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin