How 'Country Roads' became the unofficial anthem of the World Cup

Story by

Jay Busbee Senior writerTue, June 30, 2026 at 9:50 PM UTC·3 min read

Look, we all agree the hydration breaks during World Cup matches are awful, right? Yes, yes, in theory they're supposed to keep players from collapsing in dehydrated heaps on the pitch, but in practice, they're just an opportunity to cram more ads into a broadcast. They disrupt momentum, they alter the flow of the match, and they're an unnecessary and unwelcome addition … with one notable, musical exception.

World Cup stadiums are using the hydration break as an opportunity to play "Country Roads," and it's glorious, every single time.

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"U-S-A!" is our big, loud, stomping declaration of patriotism. The seven notes of "Seven Nation Army" are the horns of an invading army, but they've been co-opted by plenty of other nations. John Denver's "Country Roads," though — that's America itself in four chords and a transcendent chorus.

Try it yourself next time you're out at the sports bar/pub/grandstand. Sing the first four words — Almost heaven, West Virginia — and by the next five — Blue Ridge mountains, Shenandoah River — the crowd is singing along with you. No matter whether they're European or African, Asian or South American, they sing along to the gentle melody of the timeless John Denver classic. Listen close, and you can hear the accents as the lyrics flow by like miles on the highway.

This World Cup has given the entire planet a new view of America, the land of ranch dressing and Buc-ee's, charming small towns and cavernous stadiums. Joyful tourists document their discoveries of Americana while Americans raise toasts and sing along with their international guests. And more than anything, they're all singing along to "Country Roads" … even if they've never been within a thousand miles of West Virginia.

Why has "Country Roads" become such a phenomenon? Because it's quintessentially American. It's a song of the open road, a song of nostalgia for better days, a song about leaving home and then returning back to it. Most of all, it's a song that embodies the very best of America — the desire to get behind a wheel to chase a dream, and the pull back to one's own little stretch of land.

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Those are universal human yearnings, and that's what makes the song so durable. Swap in a lyric or two, and you can make our West Virginia singer's quest your own, the way this Japanese group has done:

Plus, let's be direct: the melody is absolutely perfect for a singalong, no matter how drunk you are. Unlike, say, "The Star-Spangled Banner," a janky, jagged, multi-octave anthem, "Country Roads" proceeds in a slow and stately fashion. Hell, the soaring chorus virtually demands you throw your arms around your mates and sing along, like these fine folks at an Oktoberfest celebration in Germany:

According to legend, songwriters Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert brought the nascent tune to singer-songwriter John Denver back in 1970, and the first time he performed it, the crowd at the tiny club immediately picked up on the chorus and sang along the second time it came around. But naturally, the record company didn't think it would be a hit. Even better — none of the three songwriters had ever even been to West Virginia. (They tried to wedge "Massachusetts" into the song's structure. Thankfully they failed.)

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Faking your way through obstacles until you find glory — man, that's pure, undistilled America right there. And now, the song is everywhere, soundtracking this year's World Cup. In a competition so often defined by corruption and commercialism, "Country Roads" is as pure as it gets.

There will be plenty of gatherings in the weeks ahead, watching the USMNT and the other two dozen-plus teams still alive in the tournament. And where there are soccer fans, there are singalongs. And now, where there are singalongs, there's "Country Roads."

Go ahead and join in. You already know the words.

Aces vs. Liberty live updates, where to watch WNBA Commissioner's Cup: A'ja Wilson out for marquee matchup

Story by

Yahoo Sports StaffWed, July 1, 2026 at 12:07 AM UTC

The Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty will meet in the 2026 WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship on Tuesday night.

Las Vegas will represent the Western Conference, while New York will represent the Eastern Conference in the sixth annual Cup title game. This final game of the in-season tournament has pride on the line, as well as a $500,000 prize pool.

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The Aces will be without star center A'ja Wilson for the game. She was ruled out due to a right leg injury, but head coach Becky Hammon said that it is not expected to be a long-term issue.

Liberty forward Satou Sabally will also miss the game as she remains in concussion protocol.

Las Vegas enters the game with a 14-5 record, while New York is 12-8 on the year. This championship game does not count toward either team's regular-season record.

So far this season, the Aces and Liberty have played just once. New York won the June 23 matchup 87-76.

Where to watch Aces vs. Liberty in WNBA Commissioner's Cup

Start time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Barclays Center | Brooklyn, N.Y.
TV channel: N/A
Live stream: Amazon Prime Video

Follow along with Yahoo Sports as the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty face off in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup final.

Tue, June 30, 2026 at 5:07 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
New York Liberty head coach Chris Demarco challenged a foul call against Breanna Stewart with 3:32 left to go in the half.
Jackie Young was driving the lane, and Stewart was on defense. Initially, the refs called a shooting foul.
During the review, though, it was ruled that Stewie had an appropriate defensive position throughout the play, and the call was overturned.
This ended up being a big call as the Liberty forward remains with just one foul early in the game.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
With five minutes to go in the first half, New York leads 39-29. The Liberty are led by Ionecu, who has 11 points, largely from connecting on three of her six three-point attempts so far.
Las Vegas has been carried by its bench. Parker-Tyus, Kierstan Bell and Chennedy Carter have combined for 15 points in relief, just more than half of the Aces’ total points so far. The trio also has seven of Las Vegas’ 11 team rebounds so far.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 4:50 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Las Vegas has been able to stay in the game with an uptick on defense. The Aces have four steals compared to just one for the Liberty so far.
The biggest knock for Vegas is that the Aces have not been able to find the deep ball. Early in the second quarter, Las Vegas is 0-7 from deep while New York is 2-6.
The Liberty leads 33-29 with 7:09 left in the first half.
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Tue, June 30, 2026 at 4:43 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Liberty lead Aces 27-21 at the end of first quarter
The Liberty are up on the Aces 27-21 to end a high-paced first quarter.
Sabrina Ionescu leads with eight points, but Pauline Astier and Breanna Stewart are right behind her with six points each.
New York is still dominating the glass with 12 rebounds compared to six for Las Vegas.
The Aces have gotten a spark off the bench from Cheyenne Parker-Tyus, who has five points and two rebounds in six minutes so far. Despite missing half the first quarter, Gray has four points and two assists.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 4:38 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Since Gray returned to the game, the Aces have gone on a 10-4 run to narrow the Liberty lead to 22-18 with about a minute and a half left in the first quarter.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 4:32 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Gray returned to the sidelines and has now checked back into the game for Las Vegas. She scored a layup on the team’s first possession after returning to the game.
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Tue, June 30, 2026 at 4:26 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Early on, rebounding will be an issue for the Aces, with no Wilson and a lack of size.
Through the first four minutes of the game, Las Vegas doesn’t have a single rebound, while New York is already up to seven rebounds.
The Liberty got out to an 8-2 lead with Ionescu scoring eight consecutive points. Las Vegas hasn’t been able to rebound and establish possession, and with six minutes to go in the first quarter, New York is up 13-4 early.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 4:21 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Chelsea Gray's head collides with Leonie Fiebich, heads to locker room
Aces guard Chelsea Gray was on defense, trying to guard Liberty guard Leonie Fiebich. The New York player’s head collided with Gray, and the Aces guard was hit square in the nose.
She went down on the court, and it looked like she may have been bleeding. After being visited by trainers, Gray was taken to the locker room with a towel on her head.
The play was reviewed, but it was ruled incidental contact.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 4:06 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
The Amazon Prime broadcast clarified what was at stake for the game. It was known that $500,000 was at stake, but according to the broadcast, that figure will be split.

Each player on the winning team will receive $30,000, while each player on the runner-up team will earn $10,000.
Money will also be donated to a charity that each team has chosen to support during the Commissioner Cup.
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Tue, June 30, 2026 at 3:58 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Liberty starting lineup led by Stewie and Ionescu
Even though New York is coming off a loss in its last game, the Liberty are running the starting lineup back on Tuesday night.
It is worth noting that Satou Sabally remains sidelined in the concussion protocol. She last played in the June 23 win over the Aces, but played only 8 minutes after suffering the concussion against Las Vegas and finished with 0 points and 3 rebounds.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 3:53 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Jewell Lloyd moved to starting lineup with no Wilson
When presented with the challenge of replacing Wilson in the starting lineup, the Aces are going with an extra guard in Jewell Lloyd.
The veteran guard has played in 17 games so far this season for Las Vegas. She is averaging 7.5 points in 27 minutes per game and will be making her first start of the year.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 3:45 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
15-Minute Warning!
The 2026 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship between the Aces and the Liberty is scheduled to tip off in 15 minutes at 7 p.m. ET.
As a reminder, the game will air/stream only on Amazon Prime Video.
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Tue, June 30, 2026 at 3:30 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
2023 Commissioner's Cup Championship Rematch
The Liberty and the Aces have seen plenty of each other in recent years. While they met in the 2023 WNBA Finals, the two franchises also met in that year's WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship.
The Commissioner's Cup has undergone some tweaks in recent years, and the 2023 iteration was held in mid-August, about a month before the end of the regular season.
New York was down 34-32 at halftime, but then dominated the second half. The Liberty won the game 82-63.
Jonquel Jones was named the MVP of the game, thanks to her double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds.
One of the Aces' biggest problems in that game was that they were unable to lock in from long range. Las Vegas finished just 19% from beyond the arc.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 3:15 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Liberty have lost 4 of their last 5
The New York Liberty are hoping that a 2026 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship against a Wilson-less Aces could be coming at the perfect time to get off the skid they have been on.
The Liberty are 12-8 on the year, but have gone 1-4 over their last five games. While this game against Vegas doesn’t count toward their official record, New York, after dropping consecutive games, could use a boost heading into the second half of the season.
Tue, June 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM PDTTeddy Ricketson
Will Aces be able to make up for Wilson's absence?
Las Vegas will be behind the 8-ball trying to contend without their perennial MVP candidate on Tuesday night.
Wilson injured her lower leg in Sunday’s win over the Chicago Sky. She finished the game with 30 points and 15 boards, but had left the game briefly to get checked out in the locker room after rolling her ankle.
The center returned to the game, offering hope that the injury was minor. Still, whether adrenaline faded or out of caution, Wilson will miss Tuesday’s game and the Aces will have to try to make up for her team-leading 25.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.
Wilson has played in all 19 games for Las Vegas this season. She has led the team in either points or rebounds in all but three.