ATLANTA — England and Argentina are two fanbases that, maybe more than any other, love to sing.
They sing about their history, past legends, and current superstars. They sing about other fanbases, including one another. They belt out popular songs that they have claimed as their own and make up songs in the moment. They occasionally sing songs that are undeniably offensive.
Wednesday’s match in Atlanta reignites one of the fiercest rivalries in sports, one where both sides feel slighted for past wrongs incurred on and off the pitch.
Already on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, songs from both fanbases filled the streets, bars, and hotels of Atlanta.
Both countries’ fan sections take popular melodies and give them new lyrics about soccer, history, and their rivals. Argentina has many lengthy songs forming a large canon that gets updated for every World Cup, where England stitches together short chants, or simply claims a pop song.
