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Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds announce 30th anniversary re-release of ‘Three Lions’
Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds announce a 30th anniversary re-release of ‘Three Lions’ ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds have lined up a 30th anniversary re-release of ‘Three Lions’, landing as England head toward another World Cup summer.
The track is set for release on June 12, with fans able to pre-order it here. Three decades on from its original creation, it arrives as a reminder of how deeply the song has embedded itself in England football culture since David Baddiel and Frank Skinner teamed up with The Lightning Seeds to write it for Euro 96, when England were hosting the tournament.
Few football songs have ever moved like this one. ‘Three Lions’ remains the only song by the same artist to reach UK Number One on four separate occasions. It hit the top twice on its first release in 1996, returned there for three straight weeks during the 1998 World Cup, then did it all over again in 2018, when it jumped from Number 24 to Number One in a single week.
This new edition marks 30 years since the original, and it’s being rolled out just as England head into the 2026 World Cup.
‘Three Lions’ 2026 cover artwork. CREDIT: David Squires
The re-release also comes with fresh illustrated artwork from Guardian cartoonist David Squires. On vinyl, there are several new versions: a ‘Remastered’ version, a ‘Karaoke’ version, the ‘Jules Rimet Extended Mix’, and the ‘Sake Bar Remix’.
This is far from the first revisit. After the original 1996 release, Baddiel, Skinner & Lightning Seeds put out the ‘Three Lions ’98’ remix, which folded in real crowd audio from the Euro 96 stadium singalong that helped turn the song into something bigger than a football anthem.
There was also the festive ‘It’s Coming Home For Christmas’ remix in 2022, released ahead of the World Cup in Qatar. That version added Christmas bells and tweaked the lyrics to salute the Lionesses after their Euros win that year.
Robbie Williams also fronted a charity version of the song in 2010 with Russell Brand for that year’s World Cup, issuing it under the name ‘The Squad’.
The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Meanwhile, The Lightning Seeds have summer tour dates lined up with Deacon Blue, along with a run of festival appearances. Visit here for tickets and more information.
