When Scotland last qualified for a World Cup in 1998, Belle and Sebastian were on the cusp of releasing their seminal album The Boy with the Arab Strap. Now, as the Tartan Army prepares for their first tournament in 28 years, the Glasgow indie icons have returned with an unofficial anthem for a generation that has never seen their country on football's biggest stage.
The song, titled 'It Only Takes One Lion', was written in the wake of Scotland's dramatic qualification campaign, which ended with a 4-2 stoppage-time victory over Denmark in November 2024. Produced and co-written by Pete Ferguson, known as Wuh Oh, the track blends Belle and Sebastian's characteristic warmth and wit with decades of football-related frustration and hope.
“It’s a personal song about following the travails of Scotland’s national team for the last 50 years,” frontman Stuart Murdoch said in a statement. “The song tries to encompass the experience of the whole country following Scotland.”
A Tradition of Football Anthems
Belle and Sebastian are far from the first musicians to capture the optimism, anxiety, and occasional delusion that accompany a World Cup campaign. FIFA's modern tradition of official tournament songs began with 'Un'estate italiana' for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, composed by Giorgio Moroder and performed by Gianna Nannini and Edoardo Bennato. The track remains a favourite among fans more than three decades later.
Ricky Martin's 'La Copa de la Vida' provided the samba-driven soundtrack to France 1998, while South Africa 2010 belonged to Shakira. 'Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)' became a global hit that transcended football, much like the vuvuzela, which droned its way into pop culture during the same tournament.
National teams have inspired plenty of other songs, too. England's 'Three Lions' gave the football lexicon the phrase “It’s coming home”, while Scotland fans of a certain vintage may remember Del Amitri’s 'Don’t Come Home Too Soon', released ahead of France 1998. (Alas, Scotland did come home too soon.)
For those whose musical tastes lean less twee, FIFA has released its own World Cup album, featuring tracks from global heavyweights such as The Rolling Stones, Lisa, Daddy Yankee, Jelly Roll, and Major Lazer with Nelly Furtado and Davido. The 18-track album hits all major streaming services on 6 June. And, yes, Shakira has yet to shake herself from World Cup lore.
Belle and Sebastian's Journey
Formed in Glasgow in 1996, Belle and Sebastian have released 12 studio albums over three decades, including 1998's The Boy with the Arab Strap, which earned them a surprise Best Newcomer win at the 1999 BRIT Awards. Despite venturing into synth-pop territory, their most recent album, Late Developers, was released to positive reviews in 2023.
The band is currently touring to mark the 30th anniversaries of their albums Tigermilk and If You’re Feeling Sinister, both released in 1996—the same year the Tartan Army returned from Euro 96 with a win, a draw, a defeat, and another familiar tale of what might have been.
Scotland's return to the World Cup is a rare moment of joy for a nation that has endured decades of near-misses and heartbreak. As the team prepares to face Haiti on 14 June, Belle and Sebastian's anthem offers a soundtrack for a generation that finally has something to celebrate. For more on the broader European football landscape, see our coverage of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, which saw Italy, Romania, and Ireland among the notable absentees.
