Twenty-Sixth Music World Cup
Tournament details
DatesDecember 1 2023 – January 25 2024
Teams32
Final positions
Champions  Japan (3rd title)
Runners-up  England
Third place  United States
Fourth place  Canada
Tournament statistics
Matches played64
Goals scored1,332 (20.81 per match)
Top scorer(s)  Japan (94 points)

Participating teams

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Continent Team Classification Date (Order) Participation Best Performance
Current Consec. Last
Africa   Ghana November 18 2023 (30) 7 2 #25 Quarter-finals (#25)
  Mali November 17 2023 (23) 19 3 #25 Champion (#11)
  Nigeria November 15 2023 (6) 14 2 #25 Fourth place (#12)
  South Africa November 16 2023 (17) 18 5 #25 Quarter-finals (#1, #22)
Americas   Brazil November 14 2023 (3) 26 26 #25 Champion (#2, #16)
  Canada November 14 2023 (4) 26 26 #25 Champion (#14, #21, #23)
  Colombia November 16 2023 (18) 12 1 #23 Quarter-finals (#4, #20)
  Jamaica November 18 2023 (31) 21 4 #25 Third place (#19)
  Mexico November 15 2023 (8) 8 1 #24 Quarter-finals (#22)
  Puerto Rico November 15 2023 (7) 6 1 #18 Round of 16 (#3, #4)
  United States November 14 2023 (1) 26 26 #25 Runner-up (#1)
Asia   China November 18 2023 (29) 7 2 #25 Quarter-finals (#25)
  India November 18 2023 (32) 8 1 #21 Quarter-finals (#8, #21)
  Iran November 15 2023 (10) 1 1 Newcomer
  Japan November 17 2023 (24) 26 26 #25 Champion (#8, #15)
  South Korea November 15 2023 (9) 25 15 #25 Fourth place (#5)
Europe   Croatia November 16 2023 (21) 2 1 #17 Group stage (#17)
  Czech Republic November 18 2023 (26) 2 1 #21 Round of 16 (#21)
  Denmark November 18 2023 (28) 18 2 #25 Champion (#17)
  England November 14 2023 (2) 26 26 #25 Champion (#4, #6, #10, #19)
  France November 17 2023 (25) 25 8 #25 Third place (#2, #17)
  Germany November 15 2023 (12) 26 26 #25 Champion (#1, #25)
  Iceland November 18 2023 (27) 20 1 #24 Champion (#20)
  Ireland November 15 2023 (13) 25 5 #25 Champion (#5, #24)
  Italy November 15 2023 (14) 19 2 #25 Runner-up (#6, #20)
  Netherlands November 15 2023 (15) 11 1 #24 Round of 16 (#8, #21)
  Norway November 16 2023 (19) 24 8 #25 Champion (#22)
  Poland November 16 2023 (20) 7 1 #22 Quarter-finals (#14, #16, #17)
  Scotland November 15 2023 (11) 26 26 #25 Champion (#7, #12)
  Spain November 15 2023 (16) 9 1 #24 Round of 16 (#4, #8)
  Sweden November 17 2023 (22) 26 26 #25 Champion (#3, #9, #13)
Oceania   Australia November 14 2023 (5) 26 26 #25 Champion (#18)

Draw

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Seeding and drawing

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Pot 1

Top 8 teams

Pot 2

Top 16 teams

Pot 3

Top 24 teams

Pot 4

Top 32 teams

Team Pos. Team Pos. Team Pos. Team Pos.
  Canada 1   Scotland 9   Mali 17   Mexico 32
  Sweden 2   Ireland 10   South Korea 18   Spain 35
  England 3   France 11   Nigeria 23   China 39
  Brazil 4   United States 12   South Africa 24   Puerto Rico 40
  Germany 5   Denmark 13   Colombia 25   Ghana 53
  Japan 6   Iceland 14   Poland 27   Czech Republic 66
  Australia 7   Italy 15   India 30   Croatia 80
  Norway 8   Jamaica 16   Netherlands 31   Iran Debut

Results of the draw

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Group A Group B Group C Group D Group E Group F Group G Group H
  England   Japan   Sweden   Germany   Norway   Australia   Brazil   Canada
  Jamaica   France   Italy   Iceland   Denmark   United States   Ireland   Scotland
  South Korea   Poland   Mali   Colombia   India   Netherlands   Nigeria   South Africa
  Mexico   Puerto Rico   China   Iran   Ghana   Czech Republic   Spain   Croatia

Group Stage

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Group A

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  South Korea 3 2 1 0 30 20 10 7
  England 3 2 1 0 34 30 4 7
  Jamaica 3 1 0 2 27 31 -4 3
  Mexico 3 0 0 3 24 34 -10 0
Round 1
(Orange Goblin - "Heavy Lies the Crown")   England 10 – 10   South Korea (IU - "Good Day")
(Grace Jones - "Private Life")   Jamaica 11 – 10   Mexico (Santana - "Corazon Espinado")
Round 2
(Dusty Springfield - "The Windmills Of Your Mind")   England 11 – 8   Jamaica (The Heptones - "Cool Rasta")
(Bicho Blanco - "Colibrí")   Mexico 2 – 10   South Korea (Kim Ximya - "Looooose Controlla")
Round 3
(Sampha - "Blood on Me")   England 13 – 12   Mexico (Alan Palomo - "Nudista Mundial '89")
(Japanese Breakfast - "Posing in Bondage")   South Korea 10 – 8   Jamaica (Millie - "My Boy Lollipop")


Group B

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Poland 3 2 0 1 32 28 4 6
  Japan 3 1 1 1 32 25 7 4
  France 3 1 1 1 29 27 2 4
  Puerto Rico 3 1 0 2 16 29 -13 3
Round 1
(Akina Nakamori - "Back Door Night")   Japan 9 – 12   Poland (Rezerwat - "Zaopiekuj Sie Mna")
(M - "Woman Make Man")   France 6 – 7   Puerto Rico (Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - "Lights")
Round 2
(Nujabes - "Reflection Eternal")   Japan 10 – 10   France (Visages - "Lunar Eclipse")
(Tego Calderón - "Pa' Que Retozen")   Puerto Rico 6 – 10   Poland (Maqama - "Judas")
Round 3
(Cibo Matto - "King of Silence")   Japan 13 – 3   Puerto Rico (Rauw Alejandro - "Lokera")
(The Heavy Clouds - "Fire Inside")   Poland 10 – 13   France (Perturbator - "Corrupted By Design")

Group C

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Sweden 3 2 0 1 33 25 8 6
  Mali 3 2 0 1 33 33 0 6
  Italy 3 1 0 2 32 32 0 3
  China 3 1 0 2 29 37 -8 3
Round 1
(Ghost - "He Is")   Sweden 9 – 10   Mali (Fatoumata Diawara - "Massa Den")
(Change - "The Glow of Love")   Italy 13 – 9   China (Bloodz Boi - "180")
Round 2
(The Knife - "High School Poem")   Sweden 10 – 7   Italy (Say When - "Save Me")
(Alice Longyu Gao - "Believe the Hype")   China 12 – 10   Mali (Mamani Keïta - "Nenibali")
Round 3
(Neneh Cherry - "Buffalo Stance")   Sweden 14 – 8   China (Chinese American Bear - "Hao Ma")
(Tinariwen - "Nannuflay")   Mali 13 – 12   Italy (Subsonica - "Tutti i Miei Sbagli")

Group D

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Colombia 3 3 0 0 37 31 6 9
  Iceland 3 2 0 1 38 38 0 6
  Germany 3 1 0 2 28 28 0 3
  Iran 3 0 0 3 25 31 -6 0
Round 1
(Guitar - "Sunkissed")   Germany 8 – 9   Colombia (Filmmaker - "The Love Market")
(Björk - "Wanderlust")   Iceland 11 – 10   Iran (Azadi.mp3 - "Empty Platform")
Round 2
(Sibylle Baier - "Tonight")   Germany 9 – 12   Iceland (Laufey - "From the Start")
(Dariush Dolat-Shabi - "Shabistan")   Iran 8 – 9   Colombia (Ela Minus - "Megapunk")
Round 3
(Meshell Ndegeocello - "Fool of Me")   Germany 11 – 7   Iran (Nesa Azadikhah - "Fester")
(Shakira - "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)")   Colombia 19 – 15   Iceland (Low Road - "I'll Keep Coming")

Group E

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Ghana 3 3 0 0 34 19 15 9
  Denmark 3 2 0 1 26 26 0 6
  Norway 3 1 0 2 24 26 -2 3
  India 3 0 0 3 15 28 -13 0
Round 1
(Hellbillies - "Mørkemann")   Norway 6 – 4   India (Bhushan Kumar - "Vaaste")
(Volbeat - "The Devil's Bleeding Crown")   Denmark 7 – 9   Ghana (Amaarae - "Reckless & Sweet")
Round 2
(Kvelertak - "Mjød")   Norway 9 – 10   Denmark (Visti & Meyland - "All Nite (Yes Maam)")
(Free Youth - "We Can Move")   Ghana 13 – 3   India (Falu - "Abundance in Millets")
Round 3
(Ane Brun - "Don't Run and Hide")   Norway 9 – 12   Ghana (Genesis Owusu - "Leaving the Light")
(Asha Puthli - "Space Talk")   India 8 – 9   Denmark (Context - "If I Had a Band")

Group F

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  United States 3 2 0 1 30 27 3 6
  Australia 3 2 0 1 29 28 1 6
  Czech Republic 3 1 0 2 31 32 -1 3
  Netherlands 3 1 0 2 24 27 -3 3
Round 1
(Arrowhead - "Coven of the Snake")   Australia 7 – 10   Netherlands (The Gathering - "Strange Machines")
(Lana del Rey - "Mariners Apartment Complex")   United States 12 – 11   Czech Republic (Khoiba - "Pathetic")
Round 2
(Chet Faker - "Talk Is Cheap")   Australia 10 – 9   United States (Deepfield - "Fall Apart")
(WWW Neurobeat - "Pikola")   Czech Republic 11 – 8   Netherlands (Gerd - "Clarao de Lua")
Round 3
(Men at Work - "Who Can It Be Now?")   Australia 12 – 9   Czech Republic (Flamengo - "Povídej")
(Solex - "You Say Potato, I Say Aardappel")   Netherlands 6 – 9   United States (The Beach Boys - "Feel Flows")

Group G

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Nigeria 3 2 1 0 30 25 5 7
  Ireland 3 2 0 0 29 25 4 6
  Brazil 3 1 1 1 30 27 3 4
  Spain 3 0 0 3 23 35 -12 0
Round 1
(Marina Sena - "Olho de Gato")   Brazil 10 – 10   Nigeria (Dr. Alban - "It's My Life")
(Thin Lizzy - "Don't Believe a Word")   Ireland 13 – 7   Spain (C. Tananga - "Ingobernable")
Round 2
(Jota Quest - "Além do Horizonte")   Brazil 8 – 10   Ireland (Electro Sensitive Behaviour - "Michael Caine")
(Souvenir - "Sinking Stone")   Spain 9 – 10   Nigeria (Asake - "Amapiano")
Round 3
(Tom Zê - "Tô")   Brazil 12 – 7   Spain (Mabel - "Don't Call Me Up")
(Sade - "By Your Side")   Nigeria 10 – 6   Ireland (Hothouse Flowers - "Don't Go")

Group H

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Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Scotland 3 2 0 0 38 33 5 9
  Canada 3 1 1 1 30 23 7 4
  Croatia 3 1 1 1 32 32 0 4
  South Africa 3 0 0 3 22 34 -12 0
Round 1
(Three Days Grace - "The Good Life")   Canada 10 – 2   South Africa (Troye Sivan - "Angel Baby")
(Biffy Clyro - "Many of Horror")   Scotland 13 – 12   Croatia (Hladno Pivo - "Pitala Si Me")
Round 2
(Chilly Gonzales - "Let's Groove Again")   Canada 11 – 12   Scotland (Boards of Canada - "Roygbiv")
(Haustor - "Ena")   Croatia 11 – 10   South Africa (Tyla - "Water")
Round 3
(The Band - "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down")   Canada 9 – 9   Croatia (Psihomodo Pop - "Ja Volim Samo Sebe")
(Jean Grae - "Threats")   South Africa 10 – 13   Scotland (Sophie - "Ponyboy")

Final stage

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Knockout stage

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Round of 16Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
              
 
 
 
 
  South Korea12
 
 
 
  Japan18
 
  Japan11
 
 
 
  Sweden10
 
  Sweden14 (3)
 
 
 
  Iceland14 (1)
 
  Japan16
 
 
 
  Canada8
 
  Ghana11
 
 
 
  Australia15
 
  Australia10
 
 
 
  Canada12
 
  Nigeria11
 
 
 
  Canada16
 
  Japan17
 
 
 
  England11
 
  Poland12
 
 
 
  England18
 
  England15
 
 
 
  Mali8
 
  Colombia9
 
 
 
  Mali11
 
  England15
 
 
 
  United States11Third place
 
  United States18
 
  
 
  Denmark9
 
  United States12  Canada15
 
 
 
  Ireland7  United States17
 
  Scotland9
 
 
  Ireland14
 

Round of 16

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  South Korea12–18  Japan
"Acid Rain" by Hypnosis Therapy "Bad Friend" by Rina Sawayama

  Sweden(3) 14–14 (1)  Iceland
"Ain't No Thief" by Viagra Boys "The Long Face" by Minus

  Ghana11–15  Australia
"One of Us" by Merlyn Wood "Hate Dancin'" by King Gizzard

  Nigeria11–16  Canada
"Just Cool" by Obongjayar "Anthem" by Rush

  Poland12–18  England
"Arahja" by Kult "5/4" by Gorillaz

  Colombia9–11  Mali
"Te Queria" by Lido Pimienta "Ai Du" by Ali Farka Touré

  United States18–9  Denmark
"Hard Times" by Paramore "Introducing Palace Players" by Mew

  Scotland9–14  Ireland
"Someone Somewhere in Summertime" by Simple Minds "Fingerbib" by Aphex Twin

Quarter-finals

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  Japan11–10  Sweden
"Washing Machine Heart by Mitski "Panda" by Dungen

  Australia10–12  Canada
"Keep Moving" by Andrew Stockdale "Lay Down" by Priestess

  England15–8  Mali
"Heading Out to the Highway" by Judas Priest "Terriya" by Luka Productions

  United States12–7  Ireland
"R(Emote)" by L'Rain "Messenger Birds" by Mellow Candle

Semifinals

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  Japan16–8  Canada
"Slow Dancing in the Dark" by Joji "As Long As You Love Me" by Justin Bieber

  England15–11  United States
"Affirmations" by Hannah Diamond "Juggernaut" by Tyler the Creator

Third place match

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  Canada15–17  United States
"Maneater" by Nelly Furtado "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone

Final

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  Japan17–11  England
"Yakitori" by Otoboke Beaver "Daydreaming" by Massive Attack

Results

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26th Music World Cup Champion
 
Japan
(3rd title)
Pos. Country Gr Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Final
1   Japan B 7 5 1 1 94 66 28 16
2   England A 7 5 1 1 93 78 15 16
Third-place play-off
3   United States F 7 5 0 2 88 73 15 15
4   Canada H 7 3 1 3 81 77 4 10
Quarter-finals eliminations
5   Ireland G 3 2 0 0 50 46 4 9
6   Australia F 5 3 0 2 54 51 3 9
7   Mali C 5 3 0 2 52 57 -5 9
8   Sweden C 5 2 1 2 57 50 7 7
Round of 16 eliminations
9   Ghana E 4 3 0 1 45 34 11 9
10   Colombia D 4 3 0 1 46 42 4 9
11   Scotland H 4 2 0 1 47 47 0 9
12   South Korea A 4 2 1 1 42 38 4 7
13   Iceland D 4 2 1 1 52 52 0 7
14   Nigeria G 4 2 1 1 41 41 0 7
15   Poland B 4 2 0 2 44 46 -2 6
16   Denmark E 4 2 0 2 35 44 -9 6
Group stage eliminations
17   Brazil G 3 1 1 1 30 27 3 4
18   France B 3 1 1 1 29 27 2 4
19   Croatia H 3 1 1 1 32 32 0 4
20   Italy C 3 1 0 2 32 32 0 3
21   Germany D 3 1 0 2 28 28 0 3
22   Czech Republic F 3 1 0 2 31 32 -1 3
23   Norway E 3 1 0 2 24 26 -2 3
24   Netherlands F 3 1 0 2 24 27 -3 3
25   Jamaica A 3 1 0 2 27 31 -4 3
26   China C 3 1 0 2 29 37 -8 3
27   Puerto Rico B 3 1 0 2 16 29 -13 3
28   Iran D 3 0 0 3 25 31 -6 0
29   Mexico A 3 0 0 3 24 34 -10 0
30   Spain G 3 0 0 3 23 35 -12 0
31   South Africa H 3 0 0 3 22 34 -12 0
32   India E 3 0 0 3 15 28 -13 0

Awards

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Categories Team Credit
Best songs 1   Colombia "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" by Shakira
2   England "5/4" by Gorillaz
3   United States "Hard Times" by Paramore
4   Japan "Bad Friend" by Rina Sawayama
5   United States "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone
Best newcomer   Iran Itself
Best match   Canada vs.   United States "Maneater" by Nelly Furtado vs. "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone
Best underdog   Ghana Itself