Men at Work’s Land Down Under has been played over PA systems and chanted by fans at the Socceroos games throughout this World Cup.
In fact, the song is often played at all sporting events involving the Aussies a nod to national pride.
It has been a well-loved tradition since the song was released in 1981 by the pub-rock band.
But it would seem one media outlet thinks the song has had its day in the sun and should now be retired for something more modern as Australia has ‘outgrown it.’
Their suggestion, however, has been mocked by fans on their post, who are clearly still in love with the song.
And it is incredibly clear that fans attending matches at the World Cup are in no mood to consider a new song at the moment.
Australia fans have been thoroughly enjoying themselves at the 2026 World Cup including singing Men at Work’s Land Down Under
Despite one media outlet’s protestations it seems that fans will be keeping the tradition goaing
‘Is it finally time to evolve the soundtracks that represent Australia?,’ Pedestrian Sport wrote on Instagram.
‘Sharp eared viewers watching the live broadcast of the 2026 World Cup noticed the traditional strains of Men at Work’s “Down Under” echoing through the PA system in the stadium immediately following the Socceroos’ historic 2-0 World Cup victory over Turkey in Vancouver.
‘While the timeless classic undeniably brings a sense of nostalgia for a certain demographic of fans, a growing sentiment across modern Australia suggests the national sporting identity has completely outgrown the 1980s pub-rock era.
‘With a highly diverse, ultra confident generation of athletes like 20 year old sensation Nestory Irankunda currently taking over the global stage, the sonic landscape representing the country overseas arguably needs to reflect that exact same explosive, contemporary energy.
‘Rebalancing the post-game playlist to feature heavy hitting, homegrown cultural phenomena like ONEFOUR would instantly capture the authentic sound of modern Australian youth, shifting the stadium atmosphere from a polite singalong into a genuinely intimidating powerhouse.
‘Tradition will always hold an important place in our sporting history but maintaining a decades old formula risks leaving the presentation feeling entirely disconnected from the very demographics driving the game and culture forward today.’
Safe to say they were met with very little support under the post as heaps of users chimed in, in support of the Men at Work track.
There were plenty of fans in the comments urging Pedestrian Sport to ‘delete this’ in response to their post.
One user called it the ‘Worst take of the entire World Cup,’ while another added, ‘Who even thought of uploading this? Pedestrian just give up. You haven’t been popular since 2016.’
Another under the username mmf006 sarcastically wrote, ‘Yeah I have to say, as I was in the stadium with 7000 of my brothers and sisters of all ages, races and backgrounds, passionately belting out Down Under in unison, scarves aloft, I thought to myself, this isn’t right, something needs to change.’
If that reaction is anything to go by, then it looks like Land Down Under is certainly here to stay.
