Liam Gallagher (l.) and his brother Noel during the comeback tour of their band Oasis, on August 24, 2025 in Toronto.Image: keystone
The 90s hit by the Gallagher brothers has become the World Cup anthem for Harry Kane’s English team. What many people don’t know: Noel and Liam are not fans of “Wonderwall” themselves. The best stories about the song.
July 5, 2026, 1:31 p.mJuly 5, 2026, 1:31 p.m
If England’s footballers win a game at the World Cup, “Wonderwall” won’t be far away. The cult song by the Britpop band Oasis is booming from the speakers, tens of thousands of fans in the stands are singing along passionately, and captain Harry Kane and his teammates are also enjoying the special moment. The first spontaneous singing of the song together was “one of my most beautiful moments ever in the England jersey,” said Kane in a podcast.
The hit from the nineties is as popular as Oasis itself. What not many people know is that the legendary brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher have their own problems with the anthem, which is now supposed to accompany England to their longed-for first title since 1966. The best stories about “Wonderwall” and its creators:
Dedication of “Wonderwall” was a white lie
«Because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me. But after all, you’re my wonderwall”: The lyrics of “Wonderwall” are about the hope that a special person will give you support and could save you emotionally. The lines are by Noel Gallagher. He once said that the song was dedicated to his then girlfriend and later wife, Meg Mathews. A white lie, as he confided to the BBC years later (and after the divorce): the media had taken away his interpretive sovereignty. “And how do you tell your wife that it’s not about her once she’s read it?”
The Gallaghers don’t like the song
Liam Gallagher once told Far Out Magazine: “I didn’t like the song at first. I found him kind of strange.” Even the songwriter, his brother Noel, is still a stranger to this day: When asked why he believed that “Wonderwall” was the first Oasis hit to reach one billion streams, he told the magazine “MOJO”: “I have no idea. That’s hard to believe. ‘Wonderwall’ is one of my least favorite songs because it’s not finished. If I could go back in time, I would probably choose a different song as our signature song. Probably ‘Some Might Say’.”
After England’s shock win against the DR Congo, Liam Gallagher wrote: “Come on, England. Come on, ‘Wonderwall’.” Noel told the Sun after the first World Cup game: “Wonderwall belongs to the people and it was a magical moment between the people and the players.”
This is how the England national team celebrates the song:
FIFA sees parallels between “Wonderwall” and misery
There is currently a report about “Wonderwall” on the Fifa website. In it, the world association also writes why the hit fits so well with the Three Lions, who are notoriously unsuccessful at major tournaments: “The lyrics are about a character who seems to have lost the fire in his heart that once drove him, but who deep down never doubted his own abilities. Just like England with its six-decade dry spell. In fact, ‘Wonderwall’ has been associated with hope since its creation.” In 1966, England became world champions for the first and only time, but the team never won the European Championship title.
The brothers’ special relationship
Liam and Noel Gallagher, who are fans of Manchester City in club football, stormed the world’s stages with their second record “(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?” from 1995. Hits like “Wonderwall” made Oasis world famous. Just like their numerous differences, which culminated in the band breaking up in 2009. “I would rather eat my own shit than be in a band with him again. “He’s a miserable little shit,” Liam complained about Noel in 2011. Many years and several skirmishes later, everything was forgotten: the reunion tour thrilled the crowds in 2025. (sda/dpa)