Mauricio Pochettino — born in Argentina, lives in Spain — was belting out John Denver lyrics on a California pitch after the U.S. beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0. That image tells you everything about how quickly "Take Me Home, Country Roads" has taken over this World Cup.
It started quietly. FIFA added the song to its postgame playlist options specifically to build a shared moment between the U.S. players and their supporters. When it debuted after the 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle, the response was immediate — players waving to the crowd, fans singing back, the whole thing spreading across social media within minutes. "You could feel the connection with the fans," midfielder Weston McKennie said after that match.
It stumbled once. After a late, low-stakes loss to Turkey in Los Angeles, the sing-along landed flat. But after Wednesday's win over Bosnia — a win achieved with ten men after a red card — it came back louder. McKennie and Sebastian Berhalter wandered the field swinging their arms, singing to the stands. Pochettino joined in with his players. A fully committed group performance.
A Maryland drive that became West Virginia mythology
The song's origin is more complicated than the lyrics suggest. Cowriter Bill Danoff told the AP he drew inspiration from driving Maryland's winding Clopper Road — not West Virginia — on the way to a family reunion in Gaithersburg. He'd never spent much time in West Virginia at all. The Appalachian feel came from WWVA radio out of Wheeling, which he listened to growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts.
He and cowriter Taffy Nivert were planning to sell the song to Johnny Cash. Then John Denver heard an unfinished version at their apartment and convinced them to let him record it instead. Released in 1971, it became Denver's biggest hit. Denver died in a plane crash in 1997, but Danoff told the AP he's been watching the World Cup with growing interest — and a specific sense of loss. "I thought, 'Gee, I wish John was still here. John got super excited about stuff like that.'"
The John Denver estate called the revival "thrilling," noting the song works because its core message — belonging, home, return — travels well beyond any single geography. "Everyone knows what 'Take me home to the place I belong' is about. It's not limited to West Virginia."
From Oktoberfest to Old Trafford — the song's global sports life
The U.S. team didn't discover this song. West Virginia University fans have been singing it after home football victories for years. German crowds brought it into the NFL's Munich games in 2022, a carry-over from Oktoberfest. Manchester United supporters rewrote the words to be about Old Trafford.
But the World Cup stage is a different scale entirely — tens of thousands of fans, players from across the country, a coaching staff that spans three continents, all landing on the same chorus. The USMNT now has a genuine post-match tradition on their hands, and it didn't cost a marketing budget or a sponsorship deal.
England, for what it's worth, have their own version of this. The squad has been singing Oasis' "Wonderwall" together after each match, arms around each other in a line. Harry Kane called it "one of my favorite ever moments in an England shirt" after the opening win over Croatia. Different song, same instinct — find something that bonds the group and the crowd in the same breath.
The USMNT advance to the round of 16 with a growing fan culture and a walk-off song. Danoff is becoming a soccer fan. Pochettino knows the words now. John Denver, had he lived to see it, apparently would have loved every second.
