Eleventh Music World Cup

Eleventh Music World Cup
Tournament details
Dates	March 17th – March 20th, 2023
Teams	32
Final positions
Champions	Mali (1st title)
Runners-up	Japan
Third place	Greece
Fourth place	Norway
Tournament statistics
Matches played	62
Goals scored	907 (14.63 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Mali (55 points)

Participating teams

Continent	Team	Classification Date (Order)	Participation			Best Performance
Continent	Team	Classification Date (Order)	Current	Consec.	Last	Best Performance
Africa	Mali	March 16th, 2023 (26)	6	2	#10	Third place (#5)
	Senegal	March 15th, 2023 (16)	3	2	#10	Third place (#8)
	South Africa	March 15th, 2023 (15)	9	4	#10	Quarter-finals (#1)
	Tunisia	March 15th, 2023 (14)	1	1	–	Newcomer
	Zambia	March 15th, 2023 (23)	6	2	#10	Runner-up (#5)
Americas	Brazil	March 14th, 2023 (3)	11	11	#10	Champion (#2)
	Canada	March 14th, 2023 (4)	11	11	#10	Runner-up (#10)
	Jamaica	March 16th, 2023 (27)	9	1	#9	Fourth place (#4, #6)
	Peru	March 14th, 2023 (10)	4	1	#7	Quarter-finals (#5)
	Puerto Rico	March 16th, 2023 (31)	4	1	#5	Round of 16 (#3, #4)
	United States	March 14th, 2023 (1)	11	11	#10	Runner-up (#1)
	Uruguay	March 15th, 2023 (19)	2	1	#9	Round of 16 (#9)
Asia	India	March 15th, 2023 (17)	2	1	#8	Quarter-finals (#8)
	Israel	March 14th, 2023 (8)	1	1	–	Newcomer
	Japan	March 14th, 2023 (7)	11	11	#10	Champion (#8)
	Philippines	March 16th, 2023 (30)	2	2	#10	Group stage (#10)
Europe	Denmark	March 14th, 2023 (25)	5	2	#10	Quarter-finals (#10)
	England	March 14th, 2023 (2)	11	11	#10	Champion (#4, #6, #10)
	Finland	March 16th, 2023 (29)	9	5	#10	Round of 16 (#3, #7, #10)
	France	March 15th, 2023 (22)	11	11	#10	Third place (#2)
	Germany	March 15th, 2023 (21)	11	11	#10	Champion (#1)
	Greece	March 15th, 2023 (18)	3	2	#10	Group stage (#5, #10)
	Iceland	March 15th, 2023 (20)	8	4	#10	Quarter-finals (#3, #6)
	Ireland	March 14th, 2023 (12)	11	11	#10	Champion (#5)
	Italy	March 16th, 2023 (32)	9	7	#10	Runner-up (#6)
	Northern Ireland	March 15th, 2023 (13)	2	1	#7	Group stage (#7)
	Norway	March 14th, 2023 (11)	10	6	#10	Third place (#6)
	Scotland	March 15th, 2023 (24)	11	11	#10	Champion (#7)
	Sweden	March 14th, 2023 (9)	11	11	#10	Champion (#3, #9)
	Switzerland	March 16th, 2023 (28)	2	2	#10	Group stage (#10)
	Ukraine	March 14th, 2023 (6)	2	1	#5	Round of 16 (#5)
Oceania	Australia	March 14th, 2023 (5)	11	11	#10	Fourth place (#2)

Draw

Seeding and drawing

Pot 1 Top 6/8 teams	Pot 2 Top 12/16 teams	Pot 3 Top 18/24 teams	Pot 4 Top 24/32 teams
Brazil Canada England Germany Ireland Japan Scotland Sweden	Australia France Italy Jamaica Mali Norway United States Zambia	Denmark Finland Iceland India Peru Puerto Rico Senegal South Africa	Greece Israel Northern Ireland Philippines Switzerland Tunisia Ukraine Uruguay

Results of the draw

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D	Group E	Group F	Group G	Group H
Ireland	England	Canada	Japan	Brazil	Germany	Sweden	Scotland
Norway	Zambia	Italy	Jamaica	Mali	France	United States	Australia
South Africa	Iceland	Peru	Denmark	India	Senegal	Finland	Puerto Rico
Philippines	Uruguay	Switzerland	Ukraine	Northern Ireland	Israel	Tunisia	Greece

Group Stage

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Philippines	3	2	0	0	23	23	0	6
Norway	3	1	1	1	21	20	1	4
South Africa	3	1	1	1	17	17	0	4
Ireland	3	1	0	2	19	20	-1	3


Round 1
(DJ Kuroneko - "Heartless") Ireland	3 – 5	South Africa (Freedom's Children - "That Did It")
(Wobbler - "Rendered in Shades of Green") Norway	7 – 8	Philippines (Freddie Aguilar - "Anak")
Round 2
(Fionn Regan - "Be Good or Be Gone") Ireland	6 – 8	Norway (Turbonegro - "Denim Demon")
(Beabadoobee - "The Perfect Pair") Philippines	8 – 6	South Africa (Felix Laband - "Falling Off a Horse")
Round 3
(Thin Lizzy - "Bad Reputation") Ireland	10 – 7	Philippines (Up Dharma Down - "Oo")
(Dave Matthews - "Stay or Leave") South Africa	6 – 6	Norway (Motorpsycho - "Feel")

Group B

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
England	3	2	1	0	23	20	3	7
Iceland	3	1	1	1	21	21	0	4
Uruguay	3	1	1	1	22	23	-1	4
Zambia	3	0	1	2	19	21	-2	1


Round 1
(Led Zeppelin - "In the Evening") England	8 – 7	Iceland (Sólstafir - "Fjara")
(Stevie Vann - "What Would You Say") Zambia	7 – 8	Uruguay (Jorge Dexler - "Todo Se Transforma")
Round 2
(Kaiser Chiefs - "Oh My God") England	7 – 7	Zambia (Witch - "Like a Chicken")
(Germán Pascual - "Seek the Truth") Uruguay	8 – 8	Iceland (Emiliana Torrini - "Jungle Drum")
Round 3
(David Bowie - "Buddha of Suburbia") England	8 – 6	Uruguay (Los Shakers - "Break It All")
(GusGus - "Why?") Iceland	6 – 5	Zambia (Sampa the Great - "Lane")

Group C

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Switzerland	3	2	1	0	22	20	2	7
Canada	3	2	0	1	23	20	3	6
Italy	3	1	1	1	21	23	-2	4
Peru	3	0	0	3	17	20	-3	0


Round 1
(Rush - "Nobody's Hero") Canada	7 – 6	Peru (Immortal Technique - "Harlem Streets")
(Maneskin - "Chosen") Italy	8 – 8	Switzerland (Circus - "Laughter Lane")
Round 2
(Three Days Grace - "Chalk Outline") Canada	9 – 6	Italy (Dark Quarterer - "Red Hot Gloves")
(Toad - "They Say I'm Mad") Switzerland	6 – 5	Peru (Narcosis - "Sucio Policia")
Round 3
(Glass Kites - "In the Night") Canada	7 – 8	Switzerland (Shora - "Arch & Hum")
(Daniela Lalita - "Tenía Razón") Peru	6 – 7	Italy (Giancane - "Vecchi di Merda")

Group D

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Denmark	3	3	0	0	24	20	4	9
Japan	3	2	0	1	26	22	4	6
Ukraine	3	0	1	2	21	24	-3	1
Jamaica	3	0	1	2	17	22	-5	1


Round 1
(Cibo Matto - "Sugar Water") Japan	7 – 9	Denmark (Volbeat - "Cape of Our Hero")
(Koffee - "Toast") Jamaica	6 – 6	Ukraine (Stoned Jesus - "Here Come the Robots")
Round 2
(Casiopea - "Take Me") Japan	9 – 5	Jamaica (Canibus - "Buckingham Palace")
(Jinjer - "Pisces") Ukraine	7 – 8	Denmark (Artillery - "Khomaniac")
Round 3
(Himiko Kikuchi - "Baby Talk") Japan	10 – 8	Ukraine (Super Pink Moon - "Doomscrolling")
(Day of Phoenix - "If You Ask Me") Denmark	7 – 6	Jamaica (The Gladiators - "Soul Rebel")

Group E

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Northern Ireland	3	3	0	0	21	18	3	9
Mali	3	1	1	1	21	19	2	4
Brazil	3	0	2	1	21	22	-1	2
India	3	0	1	1	19	23	-4	1


Round 1
(Matanza - "Quanto Mais Feio") Brazil	8 – 8	India (Bloodywood - "Aaj")
(Ali Farka Touré - "Goye Kur") Mali	6 – 7	Northern Ireland (Van Morrisson - "Moondance")
Round 2
(Torture Squad - "Horror and Torture") Brazil	7 – 7	Mali (Les Amazones d'Afrique - "Doona")
(Ash - "Shining Light") Northern Ireland	7 – 6	India (Prateek Kuhad - "Kasoor")
Round 3
(Raul Seixas - "Medo da Chuva") Brazil	6 – 7	Northern Ireland (Fruupp - "Decision")
(Peter Cat Recording Co. - "Where the Money Flows") India	5 – 8	Mali (Tinariwen - "Nannuflay")

Group F

Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Senegal	3	2	1	20	15	5	6
Germany	3	2	1	21	20	1	6
France	3	1	2	23	24	-1	3
Israel	3	1	2	18	23	-5	3


Round 1
(Kadavar - "El Matador") Germany	6 – 5	Senegal (Positive Black Soul - "Back Again")
(Gojira - "Stranded") France	9 – 8	Israel (Orphaned Land - "All Is One")
Round 2
(Helloween - "I Want Out") Germany	8 – 7	France (Magma - "Udu Wudu")
(Borgore - "Decisions") Israel	2 – 7	Senegal (Orchestra Baobab - "Kelen Ati Leen")
Round 3
(Blind Guardian - "Mirror Mirror") Germany	7 – 8	Israel (Ofra Haza - "Im Nin'Alu")
(Youssou N'dour - "Birima") Senegal	8 – 7	France (St. Germain - "Sure Thing")

Group G

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Finland	3	2	1	0	23	21	2	7
Sweden	3	1	1	1	24	23	1	4
United States	3	1	1	1	21	22	-1	4
Tunisia	3	0	1	2	21	23	-2	1


Round 1
(Blues Pills - "Burned Out") Sweden	7 – 8	Finland (Amorphis - "Silver Bride")
(Red Hot Chili Peppers - "My Friends") United States	7 – 6	Tunisia (Dhafer Youssef - "Dance Layan Dance")
Round 2
(Graveyard - "Slow Motion Countdown") Sweden	8 – 6	United States (Stevie Wonder - "Happier Than the Morning")
(Emel - "Instant") Tunisia	6 – 7	Finland (Uzva - "Lullaby")
Round 3
(Spiritual Beggars - "Sunrise to Sundown") Sweden	9 – 9	Tunisia (Myrath - "Believer")
(Jess and the Ancient Ones - "Astral Sabbat") Finland	8 – 8	United States (Blackwater Holylight - "The Protector")

Group H

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Scotland	3	2	1	0	22	20	2	7
Greece	3	1	1	1	22	21	1	4
Australia	3	0	3	0	23	23	0	3
Puerto Rico	3	0	1	2	17	20	-3	1


Round 1
(The Jesus and Mary Chain - "April Skies") Scotland	7 – 6	Puerto Rico (Ile - "Tu Rumba")
(Dead Can Dance - "Xavier") Australia	9 – 9	Greece (Vangelis - "Conquest of Paradise")
Round 2
(Boards of Canada - "Reach for the Dead") Scotland	8 – 8	Australia (AC/DC - "Hells Bells")
(RSN - "Black Sky") Greece	7 – 5	Puerto Rico (Héctor Lavoe - "El Cantante")
Round 3
(Eurythmics - "Here Comes the Rain Again") Scotland	7 – 6	Greece (Fluxion - "Dawn")
(Calle 13 - "Muerte en Hawaii") Puerto Rico	6 – 6	Australia (Wolfmother - "Special Lady")

Final stage

Knockout stage

Round of 16		Quarter-finals		Semi-finals		Final



Philippines	5

Iceland	9
		Iceland	8 (4)

		Japan	8 (5)
Switzerland	5

Japan	6
				Japan	8

				Greece	6
Northern Ireland	6

Germany	8
		Germany	8

		Greece	9
Finland	7 (4)

Greece	7 (5)
						Japan	7

						Mali	9
England	7 (3)

Norway	7 (4)
		Norway	8

		Denmark	7
Denmark	7

Canada	6
				Norway	6

				Mali	8	Third place
Senegal	7

Mali	8
		Mali	9			Greece	8

		Sweden	7			Norway	7
Scotland	7

Sweden	9

Round of 16

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Philippines	5–9	Iceland
"Bawat Piyesa" by Munimuni	.	"Unison" by Björk

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Switzerland	5–6	Japan
"Into the Crypts of Rays" by Celtic Frost	.	"I Am Not Maternal" by Otoboke Beaver

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Northern Ireland	6–8	Germany
"Rodney Yates" by David Holmes	.	"Somewhere at the End" by Carol of Harvest

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Finland	(4) 7–7 (5)	Greece
"Korppi" by Liekki TB: "Silver Bride" by Amorphis	.	"Journey to Narahmon" by Naxatras TB: "Conquest of Paradise" by Vangelis

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England	(3) 7–7 (4)	Norway
"Message in a Bottle" by The Police TB: "Buddha of Suburbia" by David Bowie	.	"Vocal" by Madrugada TB: "Rendered in Shades of Green" by Wobbler

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Denmark	7–6	Canada
"Snow Brigade" by Mew	.	"Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen

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Senegal	7–8	Mali
"Sorry Blame It On Me" by Akon	.	"Chiri Hari" by Samba Touré

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Scotland	7–9	Sweden
"Run" by Snow Patrol	.	"Writing on the Wall" by Horisont

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Quarter-finals

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Iceland	(4) 8–8 (5)	Japan
"Breathe" by Kontinuum	.	"Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" by Ryuichi Sakamoto

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Germany	8–9	Greece
"Father Storm" by Wucan	.	"Crossroads" by Hail Spirit Noir

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Norway	8–7	Denmark
"Grá" by Wardruna	.	"The Juice" by Causa Sui

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Mali	9–7	Sweden
"Manitoumani" by M, Toumani Diabate, Sidiki Diabaté & Fatoumata Diawara	.	"While the Devil is Asleep" by Spiral Skies

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Semifinals

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Japan	8–6	Greece
"Daydream" by Fishmans	.	"Break" by Aphrodite's Child

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Norway	6–8	Mali
"Kinetic" by Arcturus	.	"Bamako" by Songhoy Blues

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Third place match

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Greece	8–7	Norway
"Electric Carve" by 1000Mods	.	"Everything Matters" by Aurora

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Final

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Japan	7–9	Mali
"Yokogao" by Taeko Ohnuki	.	"Tisnant an Chatma" by Tamikrest

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Results

11th Music World Cup Champion
Mali (1st title)

Pos.	Country	Gr	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Final
1	Mali	E	7	5	1	1	55	46	9	16
2	Japan	D	7	4	1	2	55	50	5	13
Third-place play-off
3	Greece	H	7	3	2	2	52	51	1	11
4	Norway	A	7	2	2	3	49	50	-1	8
Quarter-finals eliminations
5	Denmark	D	5	4	0	1	38	34	4	12
6	Germany	F	5	3	0	2	37	35	2	9
7	Iceland	B	5	2	2	1	38	34	4	8
8	Sweden	G	5	2	1	2	40	39	1	7
Round of 16 eliminations
9	Northern Ireland	E	4	3	0	1	27	26	1	9
10	England	B	4	2	2	0	30	27	3	8
11	Finland	G	4	2	2	0	30	28	2	8
12	Switzerland	C	4	2	1	1	27	26	1	7
13	Scotland	H	4	2	1	1	29	29	0	7
14	Senegal	F	4	2	0	2	27	23	4	6
15	Canada	C	4	2	0	2	29	27	2	6
16	Philippines	A	4	2	0	2	28	32	-4	6
Group stage eliminations
17	South Africa	A	3	1	1	1	17	17	0	4
18	Uruguay	B	3	1	1	1	22	23	-1	4
19	United States	G	3	1	1	1	21	22	-1	4
20	Italy	C	3	1	1	1	21	23	-2	4
21	France	F	3	1	0	2	23	24	-1	3
22	Ireland	A	3	1	0	2	19	20	-1	3
23	Israel	F	3	1	0	2	18	23	-5	3
24	Australia	H	3	0	3	0	23	23	0	3
25	Brazil	E	3	0	2	1	21	22	-1	2
26	Tunisia	G	3	0	1	2	21	23	-2	1
27	Zambia	B	3	0	1	2	19	21	-2	1
28	Ukraine	D	3	0	1	2	21	24	-3	1
29	Puerto Rico	H	3	0	1	2	17	20	-3	1
30	India	E	3	0	1	1	19	23	-4	1
31	Jamaica	D	3	0	1	2	17	22	-5	1
32	Peru	C	3	0	0	3	17	20	-3	0

Awards

Categories		Team	Credit
Best songs	1	Ireland	"Bad Reputation" by Thin Lizzy
	2	Japan	"Baby Talk" by Himiko Kikuchi
	3	Mali	"Tisnant an Chatma" by Tamikrest
	4	Greece	"Crossroads" by Hail Spirit Noir
	5	Iceland	"Unison" by Björk
Best newcomer		Israel	Itself
Best match		Germany vs. Greece	"Father Storm" by Wucan vs. "Crossroads" by Hail Spirit Noir
Best underdog		Greece	Itself