© 2026 KAWC, PO Box 929, Yuma, AZ 85366, info@kawc.org, 877-838-5292
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A preview of the music at the Spain-Argentina World Cup final

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

The FIFA World Cup comes to a close this afternoon. Argentina and Spain will face off in New Jersey with the championship on the line. If you tune into the game and Spain scores, you'll likely hear this song.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DESPECHA")

ROSALIA: (Singing in Spanish).

RASCOE: That's "Despecha" by Spanish superstar Rosalia. Her song was one of two chosen by Spain's national team to play in the stadium every time they score a goal. In this tournament, national teams chose the music for certain moments - like when they warm up, when they score and, of course, for victories.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LA CUMBIA DE LOS TRAPOS")

YERBA BRAVA: (Speaking Spanish).

RASCOE: Argentina also went with homegrown artists, mostly cumbias from Buenos Aires. That's "La Cumbia De Los Trapos" by Yerba Brava, one of Argentina's victory songs. With Lionel Messi on your team, you get to celebrate a lot. Now, the U.S. was eliminated in the round of 16. But if you're wondering about their goal music, here's a southern rock classic with a new twist.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FREE BIRD")

MOONLIGHT: (Singing) Lord, I can't change. Won't you fly high...

RASCOE: Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" remixed by DJ MOONLIGHT.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOONLIGHT SONG, "FREE BIRD") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Ayesha Rascoe is a White House correspondent for NPR. She is currently covering her third presidential administration. Rascoe's White House coverage has included a number of high profile foreign trips, including President Trump's 2019 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, and President Obama's final NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland in 2016. As a part of the White House team, she's also a regular on the NPR Politics Podcast.