Robbie Williams records FIFA walk-out anthem, to debut at Club World Cup
British singer-songwriter Robbie Williams has recorded a FIFA walk-out anthem which will debut at the Club World Cup in the United States.
The Athletic reported in January that Williams, 51, would perform a song for the 2025 Club World Cup as part of his ambassadorial role with world football's governing body.
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FIFA confirmed on Saturday Williams had written and recorded an anthem titled 'Desire', which will be played before all FIFA tournament fixtures as the teams walk out onto the pitch and line up, including at the 2026 men's World Cup.
The former Take That artist performed a snippet of the track at the Club World Cup's launch event for its trophy tour in New York in January, but it will debut in full ahead of the first game of the tournament between Inter Miami and Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.
The song was written alongside Karl Brazil, Owen Parker and Erik Jan Grob, while Italian singer Laura Pausini also features on the vocals.
'I've grown up watching the walk-outs, the anthems, the drama – so writing and recording the official FIFA anthem is a real privilege,' Williams said. 'I wanted to create something that captures all of it — the passion, the nerves, the pride and the majesty of that feeling just before kick-off.'
Williams supports his local club Port Vale, who won promotion from League Two last season, and he was named their club president last year.
He has worked with FIFA in the past, including performing at the opening ceremony of the 2018 men's World Cup in Russia. His performance provoked U.S. broadcaster Fox to issue an apology — via the Hollywood Reporter — after he stuck his middle finger up directly into the camera during the broadcast, which would have been shown in millions of homes worldwide.
The revamped 32-team Club World Cup begins on Saturday, with FIFA forced to cut ticket prices for the opening fixture between Inter Miami and Al Ahly amid concerns of empty seats. The Athletic reported on June 11 the governing body's latest attempts to fill Hard Rock Stadium involved offering students at an affiliated local college a single ticket for $20 — but with the promise of up to four complimentary tickets.
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