These Ontario musicians hope to score by getting song Beautiful Game played at World Cup

Kendra Seguin · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 12, 2025 12:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

As Toronto prepares to host the archetypal FIFA World Cup game on Canadian soil, a group of Ontario musicians hopes their euphony volition beryllium portion of it.

The London-based group collaborated connected an archetypal song, Beautiful Game, which celebrates shot and the planetary competition. The artists present person a extremity of their own: to marque the tune the taxable opus of the 2026 World Cup.

"The World Cup is coming to our homeland, truthful what amended mode to fto everyone know," said Dario Novoa, who directed the task and is featured connected the song.

"This is simply a large accidental for the satellite to truly cognize that we're on the representation worldwide."

The 2026 World Cup tournament, from June 11 to July 19, volition feature an expanded 48-team, 104-game colossus co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico. Toronto and Vancouver volition each big 5 opening-round matches positive a round-of-32 knockout match, and Vancouver volition signifier a round-of-16 game.

'We request unity much than ever'

Beautiful Game and its accompanying euphony videos were created by members of Simple Reflections for Artists, multi-disciplinary artists from the London area.

"What we're trying to bash close present is fuse sports and music, which is truthful fitting with what's going connected successful the satellite close now," said state vocalist Kristen Renée, 1 of the featured artists connected the song. "We request unity much than ever."

"Both sports and euphony person a consciousness of magic successful them, and erstwhile you merchandise that, it takes connected a beingness of its own."

Each musician, including rapper Big Lou and singer-songwriter J-David, contributed their ain lyrics.

The philharmonic elements, Novoa said, drew inspiration from styles each astir the world, including Latin America and Europe. 

"When it comes to shot and music, we don't request to talk the aforesaid connection to link us." 

Novoa said helium already pitched the opus to FIFA, but besides wants it to scope nationalist shot teams and sports apparel brands. The artists anticipation to execute the opus unrecorded astatine 1 of the matches. 

"I would emotion for it to scope each country it wants to, and if FIFA loves it and claims it, it belongs to them," said Renée. "We wrote it for that purpose."

Young shot players prima successful euphony video

Simple Reflections for Artists made 2 euphony videos for Beautiful Game: one showcases the singers and the different stars young shot players from a section team. 

"The kids bought close into it," said AEL FC Canada president Milton Gougoulias, whose girls' squad is featured successful the second euphony video. "Everybody was dancing and they were having truthful overmuch fun."

Team members are seen waving signs, playing shot and articulator syncing on successful the video.

"The opus is precise unsocial and catchy," said 11-year-old Olivia Ward, a team member.

She said she was excited to spot herself successful the euphony video for the archetypal time during a watch-party lawsuit astatine London's BMO Centre connected Wednesday. 

Olivia and Gougoulias some privation the euphony video to marque it to the World Cup level arsenic well, as a promotional video for the game. 

Novoa said helium wants to enactment with much shot teams successful Ontario to make akin euphony videos.

"This is simply a question wherever we privation everyone to beryllium arrogant of what they're doing — embrace who you are done the arts, euphony and sport."

Listen to the the song: