Oscar and the Wolf brings with 'Warrior' the new Belgian World Cup 2022 anthem

The Belgian festival audience got the absolute scoop on this song at the most recent edition of Pukkelpop when Oscar and the Wolf closed their set with the song at the end of the critically acclaimed concert. The meaningful lyrics of this new song caused an emotional moment on the festival field. Although Max Colombie wrote the song several months ago, it has since become clear that it has acquired a whole new meaning.

Where he first wrote the song as an anthem to take up the fight and symbolically conquer the world, it is now more about conquering your own fears, overcoming your insecurities and generally getting through the day when you are struggling with feelings of depression and dejection. After all, the main opponent is not always the one on the field, but sometimes the one inside of you.

When record company Universal Music Belgium and the Belgian Football Federation heard this song for the first time, they were immediately won over by the idea of declaring this song the official Belgian World Cup anthem that will accompany our national football team to Qatar. The song is a musical gem that combines contemporary R&B and electro-pop in a unique way. The song is characterised by a very current, danceable sound that will not be out of place in a football stadium and will inspire our Belgian Red Devils to their best performance possible.

The lyrics also inspire to always give the best of yourself, to fight your opponents and to strive for the best possible performance. These opponents do not necessarily have to be from the outside world, but can just as well refer to the dark thoughts inside yourself.

When it also became clear that all parties involved share the same values of inclusiveness and diversity, and are willing to propagate these at all times, the final choice was quickly made.

"As is the case with football, music has this power to transmit emotions. I really fell in love with this song when I first heard it because the music and the lyrics have this transcendent quality that makes us want to fight in the noble sense of the word, not only on the football field but in life in general. We will do everything we can to live up to this Oscar and the Wolf song and hope that our fans will enjoy it as much as the Belgian Red Devils do.”

- Roberto Martinez

"I closed my last two festival sets at Lowlands and Pukkelpop with this song. I wrote it a few months ago and called it 'Warrior'. It was meant to be an anthem about conquering the world, but then it grew into something else. Sometimes our biggest triumphs are the moments we conquer ourselves. This one's for anyone fighting for anything. I hope it will also feed the fire of our Belgian Red Devils as they stand for a new challenge, playing the World Cup.”

- Max Colombie

With 'Warrior', Oscar and the Wolf follows in the footsteps of Stromae and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, among others, whose tracks have been named official anthems at recent editions of a World Cup or European Championship.

The general public can see Oscar and the Wolf live on the field during the last match of the Belgian national team in the Nations League, against Wales at the King Baudouin Stadium on 22 September.

The 2022 World Cup takes place in Qatar and starts on 20 November 2022. The Belgian Red Devils will play their group matches on 23 November (Canada), 27 November (Morocco) and 1 December (Croatia). Oscar and the Wolf's "Warrior" will be released on Friday 16 September by Universal Music. You can find the pre-save link here: https://oatw.lnk.to/Warrior_

About Warrior

Warrior is an anthem about succes.

About believing in yourself, that you will succeed.

Overcoming trials & tribulations.

Rising above yourself.

Pushing further when others doubt you.

It’s an anthem for everyone.

Whether you’re dealing with personal challenges.

Fighting your way back from an injury or a defeat.

Or pursuing your dream.

Warrior is a theme song for the bold, that makes them believe in

victory.