Ella Langley’s surge in popularity during the FIFA World Cup 2026
Written by Thom Wilson
Harry Kane, Dan Burn and Jason Steele enjoyed Ella Langley’s gig in Dallas | Credit: @harrykane via Instagram
American country singer Ella Langley has seen a skyrocket in her popularity across the world due to the football FIFA 2026 World Cup. Her most popular song ‘Choosin’ Texas’, has just hit its thirteenth week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Specifically, her song ‘Choosin Texas’ has become immensely popular in the lead up to the World Cup due to some of the games being hosted in Dallas. Fans coming around from the world have embraced the catchy song’s chorus, whilst also attending her concerts before heading to watch a World Cup match in the Texan city.
A particular viral football fan moment happened with the singer where a German football fan posted a video online where he discovered and became a massive fan of Langley’s music before travelling to America for the World Cup. Langley responded by invited him to attend one of her concerts.
It is not just supporters who have become fans of Langley’s music. England footballers Harry Kane and Dan Burn posted on Instagram their admiration of her music as they both attended her show in Dallas and met her afterwards before playing in the World Cup. The USA football team have also been shown singing along to her music after winning in the tournament.
Langley’s further success during the World Cup, shows the power of social media, a simple catchy chorus and people embracing different cultures. If a musician can release music which resonates with people, their music can be listened to across the world and become attached to a significant moment. In Langley’s case, her music recently has been attached to the 2026 World Cup which is held in America. In England, Oasis’ song ‘Wonderwall’ has been adopted by the national team after a big win.
Historically, the World Cup has significantly raised popularity of songs that fans have linked to their national football team. For the England national team, ‘Wonderwall’, ‘Sweet Caroline’ and ‘Freed From Desire’ have all become anthems for the national team in the ‘90s, which has continued to the current 2026 World Cup. All of these songs feature catchy and simple choruses which is easy for fans to sing along to and has been culturally associated with the England team for many years as they represent togetherness as a nation.
Scotland also have many songs which they have adopted as their own, such as ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)’ and ‘Yes Sir I Can Boogie’. These older songs have continued their popularity like the England songs, in relation to the national football team due to their cultural impact with all different demographics of football fans. Older fans see the nostalgia and significance of those songs when they first became associated with the national team, and they have passed this down to the younger generation which have continued the popularity of those songs by singing them during international sporting events due to the message of togetherness the songs represent.
Uniquely, Langley’s popularity during the World Cup 2026 shows contemporary advancements aiding success for musicians. The rise of social media has allowed global audiences to share their admiration for her music which has developed her popularity during the World Cup.
For example, many people have sung along to her songs on TikTok which has attracted large and global new audiences to her music. Langley demonstrates elements in her songs which gains popularity with sports fans, as her songs often feature a catchy simple chorus. Her song ‘Choosin’ Texas’ demonstrates a simple chorus with the context of some of the World Cup games being hosted in Texas, resulting in success with all football fans.
Unlike others, her song was not commissioned by the World Cup to create an anthem for fans, her song was written on her own accord to represent her up brining and fans across the world have related to this, therefore her song picked up popularity globally, especially during the World Cup as fans are embracing American culture.
Also, American fans have taken to this song due to representation of America it shows through the references to Texas and the song describing what it is to be an American. It is clear to see that the development of social media has significantly helped the notoriety of Langley’s music and the use of her music in relation to the World Cup, acting as a soundtrack for World Cup, reflecting this moment in time of the World Cup being held in America again.