Oasis' Wonderwall and Gallagher's taunts define Mexico-England World Cup clash

The 2026 World Cup round-of-16 match between Mexico and England was overshadowed by a cultural battle beyond the pitch. England won 3-2, but the real drama unfolded in music and memes, with Oasis' 'Wonderwall' becoming England's unofficial victory anthem and frontman Liam Gallagher engaging in a public feud with Maná's Fher Olvera.

Match and the 'Wonderwall' ritual

After each England win, stadiums play Oasis' 'Wonderwall', and players and fans sing along. Harry Kane called it “one of my favorite moments with the England shirt” Source: abces. The song replaced 'Sweet Caroline' as the team's celebration soundtrack under coach Thomas Tuchel Source: lavozar.

The pre-match feud

Days before the match, Liam Gallagher predicted a 5-0 England victory Source: elcaribedr. Fher Olvera shot back: “A ver, no manches, ubícate, güey. ¿5-0? Cálmate” Source: cnn. Gallagher later joked that if Mexico won, Oasis would never play in Mexico again Source: heraldomx. Fans booed Oasis songs like 'Don't Look Back in Anger' and 'Wonderwall' at the Estadio Azteca before kickoff Source: lajornadamx. Gallagher called the reaction “childish” Source: excelsiormx.

Halftime show and aftermath

Maná performed at halftime, playing 'Sigo siendo el rey' and fueling national pride Source: infobae. After the match, Fher taunted Gallagher: “¿No que 5-0? Five more minutes and we would have made you mincemeat” Source: lavozar. Gallagher responded on X with “It's hard work singing Harry Kane, come on ENGLAND, come on WONDERWALL” Source: lavozar.

Meanwhile, Louis Tomlinson faced backlash for appearing to encourage booing of Mexico during his concert in Charlotte Source: excelsiormx. Liam Gallagher defended him, saying “Leave him alone, this is rock and roll” and calling him “adorable” Source: infobae.

The clash extended beyond football, with memes and online battles highlighting the intersection of music and sport. As one article noted, the memes 'already won the World Cup' Source: mileniomx.