▲The squad returned four years later, but did not reach the same heights as ‘This Time’. England’s single, ‘We’ve Got the Whole World at Our Feet’, reached number 66 on the singles chart.

▲The first World Cup songs were performed by the England squad itself, including Bobby Moore, Francis Lee, and Tommy Wright.

▲The song was written by Tony Hiller, Stan James, and Bobby James. It was written to the tune of ‘He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands’, an American spiritual from the 1920s.

▲‘This Time’ was written by Chris Norman and Pete Spencer. The track reached number two on the charts. England left the World Cup in the second group stage, coming in sixth place.

▲The England squad returned with a vengeance in 1982. Singers on ‘This Time’ included Ray Clemence, Viv Anderson, and Kevin Keegan.

▲Written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, 'Back Home' spent three weeks at number one. Meanwhile, England finished eighth in the 1970 World Cup.

▲‘All the Way’ reached number 64 on the singles chart. In the tournament, England failed to make it past the group stage, losing out to the Republic of Ireland.

▲However, England did not make it to the finals. The team was knocked out by Germany in the semi-finals.

▲The England Squad came back with a bang in 1990. ‘World In Motion’ saw them team up with pop band New Order.

▲The song hit number one on the singles chart. It featured an unforgettable rap verse from John Barnes.

▲Space, Spice Girls, Simon Fowler, and Echo and the Bunnymen teamed up for ‘How Does It Feel to Be...’. The song hit number nine on the singles chart.

▲Two years later, the England squad returned for the UEFA Euro Cup. They released ‘All the Way’, with Gary Lineker, John Barnes, and Viv Anderson.

▲For the 1996 European Championship, the England squad passed on recording a song. Instead, an eccentric collaboration came together.

▲After the massive success of their unofficial 1998 football anthem 'Vindaloo', Fat Les stepped in for the 2000 Euro Cup song.

▲Two years later, Ant and Dec teamed up for ‘We’re on the Ball’. The catchy song peaked at number three on the singles chart.

▲In the World Cup, England made its way to the quarter-finals but was knocked out by Brazil.

▲For England’s Euro Cup song in 2004, Liverpool band The Farm teamed up with a boys choir. DJ Spoony also helped with the production.

▲Liverpool band The Lightning Seeds teamed up with comedy duo Baddiel and Skinner. Their song, ‘Three Lions’, hit number one on the singles chart.

▲‘All Together Now 2004’ peaked at number five on the singles chart. England made its way to the quarter-finals, but lost out to Portugal.

▲The eccentric collaborations kept coming in 1998.

▲The quirky band covered ‘Jerusalem’, a hymn written by Sir Hubert Parry. The song failed to have the same success as their cult classic, but made it to number ten on the singles chart.

▲Embrace wrote and performed England’s World Cup song in 2006.

▲Former footballer Chris Kamara took on the England song for the 2012 Euro Cup.

▲‘World at Your Feet’ peaked at number three on the singles chart. In the competition, England made it to the quarter-finals. Once again, the team was knocked out by Portugal.

▲Four years later, England returned to the World Cup and rapper Dizzee Rascal teamed up with comedian James Corden.

▲Take That revamped their 2008 hit ‘Greatest Day’ for the 2014 World Cup.

▲There wasn’t much luck for the England squad either. The team was knocked out by Italy in the quarter-finals.

▲The song never saw an official release but the music video has been watched many times.

▲The duo covered ‘Shout’ by Tears for Fears. The song hit number one on the charts. However, England didn’t even make it to the quarter-finals, losing out to Germany.

▲He released ‘Sing 4 England’, a collaboration with band Joe Public Utd. Unfortunately, the song didn’t chart too well.

▲‘Sport Relief’s Greatest Day’ featured Mel C, Gary Lineker, and even Michael Owen.

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The Lightning Seeds have named it ‘Three Lions (It's Coming Home for Christmas),’ noting the unusual time of year that the World Cup is taking place. They also make reference to the fact that England women's team managed to “bring it home” at the 2022 Euros. Hopefully, England’s men’s team can do the same in Qatar!

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England got so close to bringing it home that year, but were beaten by Italy during a tense final that went into penalties.

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Regardless of whether or not a new official song has been commissioned, the 1996 classic ‘Three Lions’ has been sung by England fans every year since its release. For the 2022 World Cup, the song has been re-released (not for the first time) with updates to both the title and lyrics.

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Football is a religion for many in the UK, and when England takes part in a huge championship like the Euros or the World Cup, the occasion is usually marked with an official song. They're usually commissioned and approved by the FA, but some years, it's the unofficial anthems that win over the fans and top the charts! As the 2022 World Cup kicks off in Qatar, it's a re-released version of the enduring classic 'Three Lions' that takes up the call.

From Fat Les to Ant & Dec, let's take a look back at the England team's major anthems over the years. Click through the gallery to get started.

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Unfortunately, England wasn’t so lucky that year. They didn’t make it past the group stages and were knocked out by Iceland in round 16.

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Strangely, no official song was released for England during the 2016 Euros. That left space for any musician to throw their hat in the ring! The band Four Lions came up with the song ‘We Are England.’ DJ duo Blonde also made a remix using the popular football chant ‘Will Grigg's On Fire’ which ended up in the top 10.

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Once again, no official song was commissioned for the 2018 World Cup. There were several attempts to provide a song by various bands and DJs, one of which was ‘Chin Up’ by the indie-pop band The Rhythm Method. England came in fourth place after losing to Belgium.

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The 2020 European Championship was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was clear that the country needed a bit of a morale boost during those difficult times. England finally got another official song commissioned in the form of ‘Olé (We Are England).’ The rap track by Krept & Konan featured S1lva, M1llionz, and Morrisson.

England's iconic Euro and World Cup songs through the years

Looking back at England's classic songs as the 2022 World Cup kicks off

21/11/22 por StarsInsider

MUSIC Football

From the Spice Girls to Ant & Dec, let's take a look back at the England team's major anthems over the years. Click through the gallery to get started.