Belle and Sebastian Unveil Scotland World Cup Anthem "It Only Takes One Lion"

Belle & Sebastian have made a Scotland World Cup Anthem which is titled “It Only Takes One Lion” and is out now via Matador. It’s a nostalgic indie disco banger, very Style Council, and cover art featuring a very young Stuart Murdoch in his football uniform.

“It’s a personal song about following the travails of Scotland’s national team for the last 50 years and it came out naturally the day after the game against Denmark,” Murdoch says. “The song tries to encompass the experience of the whole country following Scotland.”

Watch the video below.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup starts June 11 and Scotland’s first match is against Haiti on Saturday, June 13 at Boston Stadium.

Belle and Sebastian’s North American tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Tigermilk and If You’re Feeling Sinister, which hit NYC over Memorial Day Weekend , is currently heading West, with shows in Austin, Los Angeles, Big Sur, San Francisco, and Seattle still to come. All dates are listed below.

Belle and Sebastian are far from the first indie group to record a World Cup Anthem. They join New Order , James , Pop Will Eat Itself , and The Lightning Seeds , to name four.

Belle and Sebastian – 2026 Tour Dates

Jun 2 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater

Jun 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium

Jun 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium

Jun 8 – Big Sur, CA @ Henry Miller Memorial Library

Jun 9 – Big Sur, CA @ Henry Miller Memorial Library

Jun 10 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic

Jun 11 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic

Jun 13 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre

Jun 14 – Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Zoo

Jun 20 – Dundee, UK @ Caird Hall – If You’re Feeling Sinister

Jun 21 – Halifax, UK @ The Piece Hall – If You’re Feeling Sinister w/ guests Saint Etienne

Jun 26 – Glasgow, UK @ Kelvingrove Bandstand

Jun 27 – Glasgow, UK @ Kelvingrove Bandstand

Jun 28 – Aldermaston, UK @ The Mount At Wasing

Jul 10 – Bilbao, ES @ Bilbao BBK Live

Jul 12 – Novegro-Tregarezzo, IT @ Parco Esposizioni Novegro

Jul 13 – Bologna, IT @ Sequoie Music Park – Parco Caserme Rosse

Jul 16 – Madrid, ES @ Noches del Botánico

Jul 17 – Barcelona, ES @ BARTS festival

Jul 18 – Valencia, ES @ FAR 2026

Jul 19 – Murcia, ES @ Sala Mamba!

Jul 21 – Lisboa, PT @ Coliseu dos Recreios

Jul 31 – Margate, UK @ Dreamland

Aug 6 – North Berwick, UK @ Big Top, Fringe by The Sea

Sep 12 – St Kilda, AU @ Palais Theatre

Sep 13 – Newtown, AU @ Enmore Theatre

Sep 15 – Brisbane, AU @ The Fortitude Music Hall

Sep 17 – Perth, AU @ The Astor Theatre

Sep 18 – Perth, AU @ The Astor Theatre

Sep 20 – Singapore, SG @ Esplanade Concert Hall

Sep 22 – Osaka, JP @ BIGCAT

Sep 24 – Tokyo, JP @ Kanadevia Hall

Sep 25 – Tokyo, JP @ Kanadevia Hall

_Originally reported by [Brooklyn Vegan](https://www.brooklynvegan.com/belle-and-sebastian-release-scotland-world-cup-anthem-it-only-takes-one-lion/)._