{"id":643956,"date":"2026-06-17T18:38:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T18:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/643956\/"},"modified":"2026-06-17T18:38:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T18:38:19","slug":"why-does-the-england-soccer-team-sing-the-united-kingdom-national-anthem-god-save-the-king","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/643956\/","title":{"rendered":"Why does the England soccer team sing the United Kingdom national anthem ‘God Save the King’?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The FIFA World Cup<\/a> allows us to see countries from around the globe battle it out to be crowned the best. Every nation that reaches the tournament proper fields a single team, although there is still a slight exception made by FIFA in their guidelines for the \u201chome nations\u201d of the United Kingdom, which allows England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to be represented by individual teams rather than a single national UK side.<\/p>\n

This status also applies to UEFA\u2019s European Championships but it\u2019s worth noting that they do combine forces in the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n

Which UK nations are playing at World Cup 2026?<\/p>\n

It is a strange anomaly on the world sporting stage, where countries are required to compete as one, whether they like it or not. The old Soviet team was an example of this, as is the current Spanish side, many of whom are from Catalunya and would prefer to field their own team, untethered from Madrid.<\/p>\n

FIFA\u2019s rules forbid such a move, however, although there are some grey areas in the system, which allows Puerto Rico, Gibraltar, and French Guiana to compete as nations despite being constituent parts of a larger country. But in the case of the UK, it would all seem to be more complicated. After all, none of these are small, faraway outcrops, and with the exception of Northern Ireland, they are not even \u201coverseas\u201d.<\/p>\n

As a single nation, the anthem of the UK is \u201cGod Save The King\u201d, sung to the tune familiar to most American schoolchildren as \u201cAmerica (My Country, Tis Of Thee)\u201d.<\/p>\n

That is to say, this is the official national anthem of Scotland and Wales, as well as England and Northern Ireland. Only the two latter teams choose to sing it at their soccer matches, however.<\/p>\n

Of course, all of this has a political element. While three of the four nations in the UK have devolved governments, and naturally anthems that more befit an independent people, it is perhaps notable that the only one that doesn\u2019t is England. Scotland have their own government, as does Wales and Northern Ireland, but uniquely in the UK, England has no parliamentary body governing them alone. And along with that, no specifically English national anthem.<\/p>\n

And this is the heart of much of the controversy drawn from the use of the British anthem for the English team. While Welsh, Scottish, and even Liverpool supporters have booed \u201cGod Save The King\u201d as a form of protest, the use of the song as the team\u2019s anthem has strong opposition in England as well.<\/p>\n

A majority of England fans would prefer the use of \u201cLand of Hope and Glory\u201d or \u201cJerusalem\u201d as a specifically English anthem, according to a 2014 poll to find the best song for the Three Lions.<\/p>\n

Of course, as an anthem, the tune can be used by any of the various parts of the United Kingdom, including Gibraltar, or even Commonwealth nations who have the monarch as head of state, such as Canada or Australia.<\/p>\n

Here are the lyrics to the song, although only the first verse is generally sung.<\/p>\n

God Save the King<\/p>\n

God save our gracious King!<\/p>\n

Long live our noble King!<\/p>\n

God save the King!<\/p>\n

Send him victorious,<\/p>\n

Happy and glorious,<\/p>\n

Long to reign over us:<\/p>\n

God save the King!<\/p>\n

O Lord our God arise,<\/p>\n

Scatter his enemies,<\/p>\n

And make them fall:<\/p>\n

Confound their politics,<\/p>\n

Frustrate their knavish tricks,<\/p>\n

On Thee our hopes we fix:<\/p>\n

God save us all.<\/p>\n

Thy choicest gifts in store,<\/p>\n

On him be pleased to pour;<\/p>\n

Long may he reign:<\/p>\n

May he defend our laws,<\/p>\n

And ever give us cause,<\/p>\n

To sing with heart and voice,<\/p>\n

God save the King!<\/p>\n

England players and fans \u2013 maybe less so, German coach Thomas Tuchel \u2013 will be singing along in the 2026 World Cup group L <\/a>matches against Croatia, Panama and Ghana.<\/p>\n

Related stories<\/p>\n

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage<\/a>, right at your fingertips \u2013 anytime, anywhere.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s more: check out our TikTok<\/a> and Instagram reels<\/a> for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.<\/p>\n