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Metal band Mutoid Man call out the official 2026 FIFA World Cup theme song for sounding “familiar” to one of theirs
Metal band Mutoid Man have accused the official 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem of bearing a suspicious resemblance to one of their own songs, though they stopped short of directly alleging plagiarism. The supergroup, featuring members of Cave In, Converge and High On Fire, flagged the similarity on Instagram, drawing attention to a shared "vocal line" between the two tracks. Neither FIFA nor the artists behind the World Cup song have publicly responded to the claim.
Mutoid Man's post, shared on 3 July, pointed to a likeness between "DNA", the tournament's official anthem performed by Andrea Bocelli, David Guetta, Megan Thee Stallion and EJAE, and their own 2023 track "Call Of The Void", using the hashtag "#goalofthevoid". "DNA" was released on 10 June and performed at the World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City, with FIFA describing it as the tournament's "ceremonial and emotional signature". The row comes amid a busy run of World Cup music news, including Shakira's third official tournament song "Dai Dai" and her upcoming appearance at the first-ever World Cup final halftime show on 19 July, alongside Coldplay's Chris Martin, Madonna, BTS and Justin Bieber.
In short
- Mutoid Man say FIFA's World Cup anthem "DNA" sounds like their own song
- No formal plagiarism claim made; FIFA and artists haven't responded
- Comes as Shakira and others prepare for the World Cup final halftime show
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Mutoid Man can reasonably draw attention to a vocal line they believe resembles one in their earlier song, inviting listeners to compare the tracks and raising a fair question about how the anthem was created. Artists have a legitimate interest in protecting their work and seeking an explanation when a newly released, high-profile song sounds familiar to them.
The case against
A perceived resemblance alone does not establish copying: vocal lines can share common musical features, and listeners may disagree about how significant the likeness is. Mutoid Man have stopped short of alleging plagiarism, and without a detailed comparison or response from FIFA and the anthem’s artists, the claim remains unresolved.
Explained simply
Mutoid Man is a band that brings together musicians from the metal acts Cave In, Converge and High On Fire. The group has accused the official 2026 FIFA World Cup theme song of sounding similar to one of their own tracks.
The dispute involves "DNA", the World Cup's official anthem performed by Andrea Bocelli, David Guetta, Megan Thee Stallion and EJAE, which was released in June and featured at the tournament's opening ceremony. Mutoid Man flagged a resemblance to their 2023 track "Call Of The Void", particularly in a shared vocal line, though they did not directly allege plagiarism.
The World Cup is one of the world's largest sporting events with a global audience of billions. The official theme song selected for such a major event carries significant cultural prominence.
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