Music <\/p>\n
From Rafael Le\u00e3o to Memphis Depay, here are a few soccer stars who moonlight as singers and rappers<\/p>\n
The\u00a0World Cup<\/a>\u00a0is in full swing, with just a few more matches left before the quarterfinals. There have been plenty of feel-good stories and twists and upsets \u2014 Cape Verde\u2019s Cinderella story, Norway\u2019s stunning victory over Brazil, all of the controversy over\u00a0Trump\u2019s involvement<\/a>\u00a0in Folarin Balogun\u2019s contentious red card. But in addition to these crazy moments and plots, what the World Cup does every four years is put a bright spotlight on the best soccer players in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n A lot of these athletes have had unexpected trajectories and remarkable biographies \u2014\u00a0even a surprising side hobby or two.\u00a0This includes players who have hidden musical talents, or who have made careers moonlighting as singers, rappers, and musicians.<\/p>\n Of course,\u00a0the connection between soccer and music isn\u2019t new. We all know some of the\u00a0biggest soccer anthems\u00a0<\/a>are also some of the most memorable global chart-topping hits (from Ricky Martin\u2019s \u201cCup of Life\u201d to Shakira\u2019s \u201cWaka Waka\u201d). Brazilian legend Pel\u00e9 was famously a singer-songwriter who composed in his spare time and released songs until he turned 80. Former Croatian defender Slaven Bili\u0107, who played in the 1998 World Cup, also performed in the heavy-metal band Rawbau. And John Barnes, known for making history as the first Black player to represent England in a World Cup match, in 1986, was a rapper and even made a few guest appearances on official team anthems, including New Order\u2019s \u201cWorld in Motion\u201d from the 1990 FIFA campaign.<\/p>\n Here are some of the players from the 2026 roster who are keeping the connection between soccer and music alive with their own careers and side hobbies as artists.<\/p>\n The Portuguese attacker has been playing soccer since he was a kid, and joined the French club Lille before signing a five-year deal with AC Milan. On the Portuguese national team, he\u2019s been a reliable forward, but in between high-profile matches, he\u2019s followed his music dreams as Way 45, rapping and singing through a blend of R&B, hip-hop, and stripped-back trap beats. \u201cThere was always music in my house growing up,\u201d he told\u00a0Rolling Stone U.K.<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>back in 2023. \u201cMy uncle was a DJ, and my father used to sing too. Like everything around me was about music, so it really just came from there. It was always hip-hop I\u2019d listen to, and I could relate to the message they\u2019d put across about growing up in the hood.\u201d<\/p>\n As Way 45, he\u2019s released three albums, including his debut,\u00a0Beginning<\/em>, 2023\u2019s\u00a0My Life in Each Verse<\/em>, and last year\u2019s\u00a012:12<\/em>. A lot of his songs chronicle his childhood and upbringing in a small town outside of Lisbon, and also offer an outlet for the soccer player, who calls himself a shy person. \u201cMusic means to me love, escaping my troubles, and finding myself,\u201d he said in a video for AC Milan where he performs one of his songs.<\/p>\n \nMusic Rafael Le\u00e3o<\/strong>, Portugal<\/h2>\n