‘Country Roads’ is taking the World Cup by storm

Culture & Trends‘Country Roads’ is taking the World Cup by stormJohn Denver’s 1971 country-folk song was selected by U.S. Soccer as a post-match celebration song for the men’s national team.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Alex Freeman of the United States celebrates a goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between against Australia on June 19.John Todd / ISI Photos via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 22, 2026, 4:44 PM EDTBy Angela YangWorld Cup fans were united this weekend by a song synonymous with belonging, nostalgia and the yearning for home.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” is enjoying a new wave of popularity as its singalong chorus becomes a staple among soccer fans nationwide. U.S. Soccer officials selected the song as the post-match celebration tune for the men’s national team. Fans have since delighted in the resurgence of the classic 1971 country-folk hit, with videos circulating across social media of World Cup viewers proudly belting the lyrics. On Friday, after the United States’ 2-0 win over Australia, the Seattle stadium of nearly 67,000 attendees broke out into a booming rendition of the song. “The atmosphere was insane,” U.S. men’s national team midfielder Sebastian Berhalter said in a statement. “The chanting, the excitement, the energy — we felt that the whole game... them singing ‘Country Roads’ was pretty special.”A spokesperson for U.S. Soccer said that FIFA had asked teams to submit potential playlists for warmups, goals and wins. When trying to determine suitable postgame songs for wins, the team sought ones that were “both representative of American artists and would be great singalongs for the crowd.”“Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Living On A Prayer” were the winners. The shortlist also included “Sweet Caroline,” according to the spokesperson, but England had already used that song...