Belle and Sebastian write World Cup anthem for Scotland's national team

Scotland's national football team is heading to the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years, a feat achieved thanks to late heroics and a touch of luck. The perennial underdogs have enlisted the help of Belle and Sebastian, the beloved Glasgow indie-pop band, to create their potential tournament anthem.

Stuart Murdoch, the band's frontman, described the song as a "personal story of following the Scottish team's struggles and aspirations over the last 50 years." He explained that the track emerged naturally the day after the decisive match against Denmark, aiming to encapsulate the national experience of supporting Scotland.

The song's co-writer and producer is Pete Ferguson, also known as Wuh Oh. Belle and Sebastian are currently celebrating the 30th anniversary of their cult albums "Tigermilk" and "If You're Feeling Sinister" with a tour. The release of "Tigermilk" on June 6, 1996, coincided with Scotland's unexpected draw against the Netherlands in their opening European Championship match. That tournament saw the team, led by Gary McAllister, suffer a loss to England, a win against Switzerland, and ultimately fail to advance from the group stage, triggering nationwide mourning. The release of "If You're Feeling Sinister" in November of the same year helped lift the nation's spirits.

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This is a personal story of following the Scottish team's struggles and aspirations over the last 50 years. The story was born completely naturally the day after the decisive match against Denmark. This song tries to capture the whole country's experience of cheering for Scotland.