World Cup goal music: Taylor Swift for USWNT but Gala No. 1

Gala’s “Freed from Desire” is the most popular choice of goal music chosen at the Women’s World Cup, with three of the 32 teams at the tournament selecting the ’90s club classic.

Before the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand kicked off on July 20, each national team submitted to FIFA up to two songs to be played over the stadium PA whenever they score.

None of them chose the official song of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, “Do It Again” by BENEE featuring Mallrat, but that would have been a wasted choice as it is played before every match anyway.

Taylor Swift was one of the many famous faces who starred in the United States national team’s squad reveal video, and the pop superstar’s presence continues to be felt at the tournament; her 2017 song “… Ready For It?” was picked as the USWNT’s goal music of choice.

England went for a dance-music double with their choices, selecting Darude’s “Sandstorm” and Chase & Status’ “Alive.” The European champions were one of only two nations to submit two songs, but they have only got to hear one of them so far, having only won their first match of the tournament 1-0.

On the other hand, Germany have had Zombie Nation’s “Kernkraft 400” played six times already after they stormed to a comprehensive 6-0 win over Morocco.

Australia have turned to a harder floor-filler with the 2018 track “Losing It” by FISHER but their co-hosts New Zealand are one of the three nations — along with France and Switzerland — who have chosen Gala’s 1996 Eurodance anthem. The track, written and performed by Gala Rizzatto and produced by Maurizio Molella and Phil Jay, was also the most popular choice among the teams at the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar.

The song was given a new lease of life when Northern Ireland fans brought their reworked version “Will Grigg’s On Fire” to the men’s European Championship in France in 2016. More than a quarter of a century later, the song still has dance floors packed and stadiums crowds jumping.