Pakistani music is once again making waves in the football world as FIFA turned to the viral hit “Blockbuster” to celebrate France’s football star Kylian Mbappe’s entry onto the football field.
“Blockbuster,” a Punjabi song with an old folk music ring to it, was composed and written by Pakistani artists Zulfikar Jabbar Khan (also known as Xulfi), Umair Butt, Faris Shafi, and Shamroz Butt. Faris Shafi, a renowned Pakistani rapper, provided the vocals for the song along with Umair Butt and an all-female group called Gharwi Group, which includes Abida, Rooha Rawal, Sajida Bibi, and Saba Hassan.
FIFA recently posted a reel on its official TikTok account showing highlights of Mbappe, 25, celebrating on the field with “Blockbuster” playing in the background. The post was captioned: “Mbappe’s ‘BLOCKBUSTER’ entry.“
Released as part of Coke Studio Pakistan’s Season 15 on May 25, the song has gained traction from millions of Pakistanis and is making waves internationally as well. Xulfi expressed his excitement on Instagram after seeing FIFA’s post, writing: “From Coke Studio Pakistan to FIFA’s global stage – our ‘Blockbuster’ just made an appearance with Mbappe on FIFA’s official TikTok page! This feels surreal. Our voice, our beats transcending boundaries, creating timelines that were once deemed improbable. Congratulations, Pakistan. This is wonderful and this is huge.”
The song’s popularity can be attributed to its catchy dance number and its one-take music video. It has also trended on Spotify India, where listeners commented on the song’s international success. One Indian listener remarked, “It seems as if I have arrived at the border while scrolling.”
This move by FIFA comes just weeks after they used famous Pakistani folk singer Arif Lohar’s 2023 song “Aa” to wish Argentine football legend Lionel Messi a happy birthday.
