Germany players sceptical of AI-generated World Cup songs

Germany defenders Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck have voiced scepticism about the growing number of artificial intelligence-generated songs circulating around the national team during the World Cup.

“I like it when they are real musicians and real people,” Tah said ahead of Germany’s tournament opener against Curaçao.

Schlotterbeck said he had come across some of the songs but had mixed views about them.

“I think some are good and some are not so good,” he said, adding that no song has emerged within the squad as an unofficial anthem for the tournament.

The World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada has inspired a wave of songs about Germany’s players, including some AI-generated tracks with controversial or questionable content.

The trend contrasts with a long-standing tradition in German football, where national team players recorded official songs ahead of major tournaments.

Before the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, the German squad recorded “Buenos Dias Argentina” with singer Udo Jürgens, while ahead of the 1990 World Cup, which Germany went on to win, players joined Jürgens for “Wir sind schon auf dem Brenner.”

At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Germany’s players recorded “Far Away in America” with the Village People.

Schlotterbeck said he was not responsible for selecting music in the team’s dressing room but enjoyed listening to whatever his teammates chose.

Tah appeared amused by the attention the songs had received, saying the team preferred to focus on football rather than outside distractions.