“This song is on FIFA”

Five drunken words hated by almost every girl across the country and adored by almost every lad.

FIFA’s gameplay didn’t reinvent the wheel by any means. Every year it comes out with the same dysfunctional features and toxic player base (guilty as charged), however, every year I come trundling back to it for its one saving grace. The soundtrack. It’s just so bloody good. It makes you forget about all the game’s shortcomings, transforming it into an experience which allows you to escape from your own personal stress. When I look back upon my time playing the older games, I can’t help but hear these classic tracks soundtracking my own coming of age story as I discovered the world of music, and, more importantly, grew up. Maybe it’s just another case of myself being blinded by nostalgia, but I wanted to take a brief look back at what made the FIFA soundtrack so popular and how its adapted over the years to appeal to new demographics. Warning – I will be geeking out about FIFA, so this is your chance to leave.

Still here? Great.

FIFA 12 was my first game in the series, and amongst some of the ridiculous fun you could have on Ultimate Team when smashing in finesse shots from miles out, the soundtrack in particular has remained etched in my memory as having some of the series’ best tracks. I remember sprinting through the house after school, diving on the sofa – still fully clothed in my uniform – instantly turning on my Xbox and being met with the feel-good sound of The Strokes’ ‘Machu Picchu’. All of a sudden, everything was good. My homework could wait. My dinner could go cold. I was set for the night. Nick Valensi on the guitar provides a lively riff that injects the track with an electrifying energy, and as a result wonderfully prepares you for the arcade like, high octane gameplay you’re about to experience. The President of EA’s Music Divison, Steve Schur, says the 40-something songs chosen to appear on the game every year aren’t just the “Greatest Hits”, they are specifically chosen to reflect not only the in-game experience but the wider culture of football itself. With ‘Machu Picchu’ in mind, it’s interesting to look towards the older titles and see how this “cultural mirror” of sound has evolved overtime as the game’s audience has grown.

The Strokes are one of the most internationally recognised Indie bands, and their appearance on FIFA 12, tells me one thing, Steve Schur and his team of music detectives know exactly who they are appealing to. Before the game started to sell hundreds of millions of copies worldwide, it was targeted at teenagers and the authentic football fan, otherwise known as the infamous ‘Football Casual’. Permeating every area of British footballing culture, the casual is often seen about 8 pints deep, bellowing out incendiary lyrics from the front of the terraces. Enthusiasts of life’s more rugged pleasures, there is one thing they love more than a crunching two-foot challenge or a thumping back post header. Indie music. It’s a staple of ‘game day’, frequently played in the pubs surrounding the ground, and oftentimes used to inspire club chants where the lyrics are replaced with relevant player names and such. Thus, the earlier FIFA titles tapped into this love for the genre and packed the games full of fan favourites like “I Can Talk” (Fifa 11) by Two Door Cinema Club, and underground hits like The Vaccines “Wreckin’ Bar” (Fifa 12).

The fallout of their carefully curated selection was immense. A seemingly endless list of Spotify playlists are dedicated to the game series, as thousands of Brits try to recapture that nostalgia of smacking your mate 6-0, and returning to the menus to be met by the sweet sound of John Newman’s ‘Love me Again’. However, as the game has grown to international acclaim the soundtrack has had to quickly adapt. The recent ones are inclusive, contemporary and cohesive, swiftly evolving to accurately reflect not only the diversity of today’s music scene, but also the international nature of the fans playing the game. Part of the sport’s beauty are the various approaches to how it’s played. Spain have become synonymous with intricate ‘tika-taka’ passing moves, Italy are renowned for their stringent defensive displays, whilst Brazil famously flaunt a nonchalant flair that mesmerises the crowd. Football appeals to so many more than just the football casual, thus, it’s only fair these different cultures are represented.

Fifa 17 saw a surge in this multi-cultural approach, as EA Sports’ music division incorporated a number of smaller artists from across the world. Mexican singer, Ceci Bastida saw her single ‘Un Sueno’ feature and in turn expose the rest of the world to the nation’s high-tempo, electronic style that not only invigorates the FIFA fan with a wave of endorphins, but perfectly matches the ‘all or nothing’ approach that the Mexican national team frequently adopt. Two years later, the Zimbabwean duo, BANTU and Dr. Chaii appeared on FIFA 19 with their track ‘Jackie Chan’. It’s uplifting fusion of R&B and Afro Pop helped to bring modern African music into the spotlight, and simultaneously celebrate the international landscape of football. Just as different teams have different footballing philosophies, different nations have unique soundscapes that elevate a cultural authenticity and FIFA are constantly enlarging their playlists to reflect this.

Although over the years the game itself has unfortunately degraded in quality, the soundtracks have remained consistent and most importantly, kept up with the times. FIFA soundtracks serve as the passionate, connective tissue between supporters all over the world and the songs in the game – in the hope that the music, just like football, will resonate with people and bring them closer together, no matter the language. Additionally, these tracks possess a celestial quality, soundtracking both your in-game milestones and your concurrent real-life experiences. In 30 years’ time, I’ll hear Glass Animals’ ‘Heatwave’ and fondly look back on the time I spent in lockdown, playing Pro Clubs with my mates till 2 in the morning like a sad old man.

Here is another shameless playlist plug for ya: