J Balvin remade Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ as Coca-Cola’s World Cup anthem. He says it was ‘a puzzle’

Colombian Star J Balvin Leads Global Collaboration on FIFA World Cup 2026 Anthem

Colombian singer J Balvin has joined forces with drummer Travis Barker, vocalist Amber Mark, and guitarist Steve Vai to reimagine Van Halen’s iconic hit “Jump” as the official anthem for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The multilingual track, released through Coca-Cola’s new in-house label Real Thing Records in partnership with Capitol Records, aims to capture the unifying spirit of the international tournament.

“Our biggest moments in history, of happiness, surround sports,” Balvin explains of his homeland Colombia. “Of course music, but sport has this power to unite a whole country and vibe in a really positive way. So that’s part of my DNA.”

The collaboration began when Joshua Burke, head of global music and culture marketing at The Coca-Cola Company, approached Balvin with the concept last year. Initially hesitant about reimagining such a well-known track, Balvin expressed caution about the project.

“I’m really precautious when it comes to songs like this one,” Balvin said. “It’s like touching the Mona Lisa.” This reverence led him to take “a totally different approach” to avoid direct comparisons with Van Halen’s original recording.

The reimagined version opens with Mark’s crystalline vocals singing the original English lyrics, while Vai transforms the iconic guitar riffs and Barker amplifies the percussion. Balvin’s contribution stands out with a new Spanish-language verse layered over production by his collaborator L.E.X.V.Z, creating what he describes as “Brazilian funk with hard strings, kind of like hip-hop.”

Balvin’s verse brings football culture to the forefront with lyrics that translate to “Football is our language / Here, we’re all my people.” This message of unity resonates particularly as concerns grow about how the Trump administration’s immigration policies might affect the tournament, which will be hosted jointly by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“I wish this administration open their mind and see, like, this is a world event. This is for all of us,” Balvin remarked. “Let the people really have fun and enjoy and show that the United States can definitely pull off a World Cup.”

The accompanying music video, art directed and designed by McFlyy, employs anime-style animation to reflect global cultural interests. This artistic choice aligns with Coca-Cola’s international approach to the tournament’s marketing.

Coca-Cola’s relationship with FIFA stretches back to 1978 when it became an official World Cup sponsor. The company has a history of producing anthems for the event, including Jason Derulo’s “Colors” for the 2018 tournament and a reimagining of Queen’s “A Kind of Magic” featuring Mexican singer Danna Paola, Egyptian rapper Felukah, and Saudi Arabian singer TamTam for the 2022 World Cup.

Burke emphasized the challenge of reimagining such an iconic song, stating in an exclusive statement to The Associated Press: “Reimagining a song as iconic as Van Halen’s ‘Jump’ came with a real sense of responsibility. All four artists leaned into the process as if this was their own single. Our goal was to create an anthem that celebrates the full spectrum of emotions of the tournament and feels just as powerful in a stadium as it does blasting from a car with your friends.”

For Balvin, the goal is simple—he hopes listeners respond to the energy of the song and embrace it as “a fútbol song.” He playfully insists on the terminology, joking, “I don’t even know what soccer is. It’s always been fútbol.”

This anthem represents more than just a promotional tool—it symbolizes the cross-cultural connections that make the World Cup a truly global phenomenon. By blending diverse musical talents and languages, the reimagined “Jump” aims to capture the passion and unity that football inspires across borders, cultures, and languages ahead of what will be the largest World Cup tournament in history.