England's run to the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals has produced unforgettable moments on the pitch, but one of the tournament's defining stories has emerged in the stands.
Oasis' "Wonderwall" has become the soundtrack of England's campaign, creating a powerful bond between players and supporters and helping redefine what supporting the national team looks like.
How Wonderwall United England's Players And Fans
Bellingham’s brace against Norway, which secured England’s place in the semi-finals, is the latest big moment in a potentially generation-defining run at the World Cup.
However, a post-match ritual has begun to define the tournament too, as the country has been swept up by videos of England stars singing their hearts out with fans in the stadium.
Harry Kane said that Singing “Wonderwall” in front of fans at Dallas stadium after beating Croatia was one of his “favourite ever moments in an England shirt”.
He said on the Lion’s Den podcast: “It’s that emotional connection with the fans... We know how much it means to them.”
This positive relationship between fans and players is central to Thomas Tuchel’s vision and culture as England manager. After England’s opening World Cup win against Croatia, he said: “The way the team celebrated with the fans, I felt a big synergy, a big connection already.”
“It is important, but you cannot artificially create it,” he added.
England submitted Oasis' “Wonderwall” to FIFA in their playlist for England games, alongside Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and The Beatles' "Hey Jude."
The song has been claimed by English football fans for years, but for many this time feels different, particularly after the gruelling game against Mexico at the Azteca.
Sports presenter James Allcott said: “After that game, [the players] didn’t go in the pitch, they stepped past the pitch. They were arm in arm. They were telling the cameramen to get back. They were screaming the words out. It’s special and it’s big.”
The unofficial England anthem has an undertone of melancholy which gives way to a hopeful release in the chorus, allowing fans to wonder if (maybeeee) this will be the year football comes home again.
Written for Oasis’ sophomore album (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? in 1995, Noel Gallagher told the BBC in 2002 that the song is about “an imaginary friend who’s gonna come and save you from yourself.”
After the Norway game, Noel told the Sun: "Wonderwall belongs to the people, and it was a magical moment between the people and the players."
His brother and bandmate Liam Gallagher posted on X: “Cmon England cmon Wonderwall."
The song is currently 11th and rising on the Official Singles chart and there was a 51% increase in listeners after England’s latest victory, according to data from Spotify.
Why Wonderwall Has Become A Symbol Of Modern England
This Striver video shows how headlines about “boozy British fans” distort how the nation is perceived across the world.
The viral videos of England players facing fans in the stadium and singing with them media are an antidote to negative headlines in the press.
Fans have taken to social media, editing football clips over the song, creating their own versions, and posting people singing it in bars.
One TikToker said that the person who changed the England post-game song from Sweet Caroline to Wonderwall deserves a “knighthood.”
Another noticed how, amid political division, the World Cup brings everyone together and makes people proud to be English.
He said: “In the UK, we don’t really have a lot of hope. We tend to be very miserable and complain about things. And so many British immigrants and people that maybe otherwise don’t celebrate become invested, because we see how the spirits of a country can be lifted when we have hope.”
Perhaps no player better captures that hope than Jude Bellingham. The brightest star of this England team, he is serenaded with his own anthem – “Hey Jude” – and is a symbol of an England that supporters are starting to believe in.
