List of wrong anthem incidents
Updated: 11/5/2025, 10:28:06 AM Wikipedia source
This is a list of incidents when an incorrect national anthem was accidentally played, sung or performed, including playing the anthem of the wrong country, playing an outdated anthem, and playing a non-anthem piece in place of a national anthem.
Tables
· List
Opening ceremony of the Kiel Canal, Rendsburg, Germany
Opening ceremony of the Kiel Canal, Rendsburg, Germany
Event and host
Opening ceremony of the Kiel Canal, Rendsburg, Germany
Date
21 June 1895
Country affected
Ottoman Empire
Incident
When the Ottoman ship "Fuad" sailed past the naval band present as part of the ceremony, the band noticed that they did not have the sheet music for the Ottoman anthem. Instead, they played the German folk song "Guter Mond" (engl. "Good Moon"), a reference to the crescent of the Ottoman flag.
Type
Non-anthem - Foreign folk song
Occasion
Politics
1920 Summer Olympics, Antwerp, Belgium
1920 Summer Olympics, Antwerp, Belgium
Event and host
1920 Summer Olympics, Antwerp, Belgium
Date
18 August 1920
Country affected
Italy
Incident
After Ugo Frigerio won the gold medal in the 10 kilometres walk, the band present was unable to find the score of the anthem of Italy, and instead played "'O sole mio," one of the most popular Italian songs of the time. The music was so well known by the public that the crowd all sang it together.
Type
Non-anthem - Popular song
Occasion
Athletics
1952 Summer Olympics, Helsinki, Finland
1952 Summer Olympics, Helsinki, Finland
Event and host
1952 Summer Olympics, Helsinki, Finland
Date
26 July 1952
Country affected
Luxembourg
Incident
The band improvised a tune in lieu of the anthem of Luxembourg after Josy Barthel unexpectedly won gold at the 1500 metres, as they did not have the sheet music.
Type
Non-anthem - Other
Occasion
Athletics
State visit of Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer to the USA
State visit of Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer to the USA
Event and host
State visit of Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer to the USA
Date
April 1953
Country affected
West Germany
Incident
During Adenauer's visit to Chicago, a band performed the carnival song "Heidewitzka, Herr Kapitän [de]".
Type
Non-anthem - Folk song
Occasion
Politics
State visit of President Camille Chamoun to São Paulo, Brazil
State visit of President Camille Chamoun to São Paulo, Brazil
Event and host
State visit of President Camille Chamoun to São Paulo, Brazil
Date
May 1954
Country affected
Lebanon
Incident
A military band performed the national anthem of Israel upon Chamoun's arrival at the airport, as the band leader had mistakenly distributed the wrong sheet music.
Type
Wrong country
1957 Ice Hockey World Championships, Moscow, USSR
1957 Ice Hockey World Championships, Moscow, USSR
Event and host
1957 Ice Hockey World Championships, Moscow, USSR
Date
5 March 1957
Country affected
Sweden
Incident
Sweden unexpectedly won the tournament against the Soviet Union, and the host country did not have a recording of their national anthem ready to play. The players agreed to sing the anthem in place of a recording, but as they did not know the full lyrics, they instead sang the drinking song "Helan Går".
Type
Non-anthem - Folk song
Occasion
Ice hockey
Friendly match between Italy and England, Wembley, United Kingdom
Friendly match between Italy and England, Wembley, United Kingdom
Event and host
Friendly match between Italy and England, Wembley, United Kingdom
Date
6 May 1959
Country affected
Italy
Incident
"Marcia Reale", the anthem of the Kingdom of Italy, was played before the match.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Football
1967 South African Grand Prix, Midrand, South Africa
1967 South African Grand Prix, Midrand, South Africa
Event and host
1967 South African Grand Prix, Midrand, South Africa
Date
2 January 1967
Country affected
Mexico
Incident
Not having sheet music for the national anthem of Mexico, a brass band performed "Jarabe Tapatío" for winning driver Pedro Rodríguez during the podium ceremony.[citation needed]
Type
Non-anthem - Folk song
Occasion
Auto racing
Friendly match between Czechoslovakia and Spain, Prague, Czechoslovakia
Friendly match between Czechoslovakia and Spain, Prague, Czechoslovakia
Event and host
Friendly match between Czechoslovakia and Spain, Prague, Czechoslovakia
Date
1 October 1967
Country affected
Spain
Incident
A military band played "Himno de Riego", the anthem used during the Second Spanish Republic, rather than the anthem in use at the time. The Czechoslovak Football Association apologised to the Spanish Football Federation with a letter stating that a functionary of the Czechoslovak football body provoked[clarification needed] the mistake, specifying that "it was the only score they had at hand".
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Football
State visit of Chairman of the RCC Muammar Gaddafi to Paris, France
State visit of Chairman of the RCC Muammar Gaddafi to Paris, France
Event and host
State visit of Chairman of the RCC Muammar Gaddafi to Paris, France
Date
23 November 1973
Country affected
Libya
Incident
During Gaddafi's welcoming ceremony, the band of the Republican Guard played "Libya, Libya, Libya", the country's former national anthem under King Idris, instead of "Allahu Akbar", the anthem in use at the time.
Type
Politics
1977 Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg, Austria
1977 Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg, Austria
Event and host
1977 Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg, Austria
Date
14 August 1977
Country affected
Australia
Incident
It has been falsely claimed that "Happy Birthday to You" was played for winning driver Alan Jones. However, "Advance Australia Fair" was actually played, different from what Jones remembered.
Type
Non-anthem - Foreign folk song
Occasion
Auto racing
State visit of President Nicolae Ceaușescu to Washington, D.C., USA
State visit of President Nicolae Ceaușescu to Washington, D.C., USA
Event and host
State visit of President Nicolae Ceaușescu to Washington, D.C., USA
Date
13 April 1978
Country affected
Romania
Incident
During Ceaușescu's reception at the White House, the United States Army Band performed "Fatherland Romania", variously referred to as an anthem "from capitalist days" or the predecessor anthem to "Trei culori", Romania's anthem at the time.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Politics
1978 World Chess Championship between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi, Baguio, Philippines
1978 World Chess Championship between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi, Baguio, Philippines
Event and host
1978 World Chess Championship between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi, Baguio, Philippines
Date
17 July 1978
Country affected
Soviet Union
Incident
At the opening ceremony of the match between Karpov and Korchnoi, the latter had planned to sit down in protest as the State Anthem of the Soviet Union played. However, the organisers mistakenly played The Internationale instead, which had functioned as the Soviet anthem until 1944.
Type
Chess
6th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, Havana, Cuba
6th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, Havana, Cuba
Event and host
6th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, Havana, Cuba
Date
3 September 1979
Country affected
Iraq
Incident
At the opening ceremony, a brass band played the anthem of Egypt for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Politics
Friendly match between West Germany and Yugoslavia, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Friendly match between West Germany and Yugoslavia, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Event and host
Friendly match between West Germany and Yugoslavia, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Date
7 June 1983
Country affected
Yugoslavia
Incident
Before the match, the band played the anthem of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav players refused to begin the game for nearly 90 minutes, until the correct anthem was performed.[citation needed]
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Football
1985 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Bormio, Italy
1985 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Bormio, Italy
Event and host
1985 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Bormio, Italy
Date
7 February 1985
Country affected
West Germany
Incident
At the awards ceremony, the East German national anthem was played for West German gold medallist Markus Wasmeier.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Giant slalom
1986 FIFA World Cup OFC qualifiers, Melbourne, Australia
1986 FIFA World Cup OFC qualifiers, Melbourne, Australia
Event and host
1986 FIFA World Cup OFC qualifiers, Melbourne, Australia
Date
20 October 1985
Country affected
Australia
Incident
Before a match between Australia and Israel, the West German national anthem was initially played for the Australian team.
Type
Football
1986 FIFA World Cup, Mexico
1986 FIFA World Cup, Mexico
Event and host
1986 FIFA World Cup, Mexico
Date
1986
Country affected
Belgium
Incident
The West German national anthem was played for Belgium.
1986 FIFA World Cup, Guadalajara, Mexico
1986 FIFA World Cup, Guadalajara, Mexico
Event and host
1986 FIFA World Cup, Guadalajara, Mexico
Date
1 June 1986
Country affected
Brazil
Incident
Before the opening game of Group D between Brazil and Spain, the Brazilian Flag Anthem was played instead of the Brazilian National Anthem.
Type
Non-anthem - Patriotic song
1987 Rugby World Cup , Dunedin
1987 Rugby World Cup , Dunedin
Event and host
1987 Rugby World Cup , Dunedin
Date
30 May 1987
Country affected
Canada
Incident
Before the match between Canada and Ireland, due to Canada choosing not to play "O Canada" as Ireland did not have an anthem for the away matches (with Amhrán na bhFiann being the one used when Ireland plays in Dublin) and the political situation in the island, the organisers played God Defend New Zealand. However, a group of Irish supporters in the crowd sang an impromptu rendition of Amhrán na BhFiann before the kick-off.[citation needed]
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Rugby union
Moscow Bears–Tacoma Express match, Tacoma, Washington, USA
Moscow Bears–Tacoma Express match, Tacoma, Washington, USA
Event and host
Moscow Bears–Tacoma Express match, Tacoma, Washington, USA
Date
2 July 1990
Country affected
Soviet Union
Incident
The Turkish national anthem was played for the Moscow Bears, who were touring the United States as the Soviet national American football team. The Tacoma Dome crew realized the mistake while "The Star-Spangled Banner" was being performed for the hosting Express, then played the Soviet anthem afterward.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
American football
1991 Five Nations Championship, Paris, France
1991 Five Nations Championship, Paris, France
Event and host
1991 Five Nations Championship, Paris, France
Date
19 January 1991
Country affected
Scotland
Incident
Marche des Soldats de Robert Bruce (the air of "Scots Wha Hae") was played by a Gendarmerie band for the Scottish team before a game against France, as the score for "Flower of Scotland" was not available at the time.[citation needed]
Type
Non-anthem - Patriotic song
Occasion
Rugby union
Friendly match between Brazil and Bulgaria, Uberlândia, Brazil
Friendly match between Brazil and Bulgaria, Uberlândia, Brazil
Event and host
Friendly match between Brazil and Bulgaria, Uberlândia, Brazil
Date
28 May 1991
Country affected
Bulgaria
Incident
A Brazilian military band played "Shumi Maritsa", the national anthem of the Kingdom of Bulgaria, allegedly misunderstanding that the anthem had changed after fall of communism in the country.[citation needed]
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Rugby
Canadian Football League match between Las Vegas Posse and Sacramento Gold Miners
Canadian Football League match between Las Vegas Posse and Sacramento Gold Miners
Event and host
Canadian Football League match between Las Vegas Posse and Sacramento Gold Miners
Date
16 July 1994
Country affected
Canada
Incident
At a match in Las Vegas between the two American teams, part of the short-lived CFL expansion into the US, singer Dennis Casey Park was approached at one day's notice to sing the anthem, which he assumed would be "The Star-Spangled Banner." He only learned a few hours later that it would be "O Canada," with which he was unfamiliar. He attempted to learn it, but at the match, he was unable to remember the melody as there was no backing music. He sang part of the anthem to the tune of "O Tannenbaum." The CFL was deluged with complaints, including one from the office of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and team owner Nick Mileti apologized. Two weeks later, Park was invited to perform "O Canada" at a Hamilton Tiger-Cats game and did so correctly.
Type
Non-anthem - Foreign folk song
Occasion
Canadian football
State visit of Federal President Roman Herzog to Porto Alegre, Brazil
State visit of Federal President Roman Herzog to Porto Alegre, Brazil
Event and host
State visit of Federal President Roman Herzog to Porto Alegre, Brazil
Date
23 November 1995
Country affected
Germany
Incident
During a reception for Herzog, a police band performed the anthem of the former German Democratic Republic.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Politics
1998 Belgian Grand Prix, Francorchamps, Belgium
1998 Belgian Grand Prix, Francorchamps, Belgium
Event and host
1998 Belgian Grand Prix, Francorchamps, Belgium
Date
30 August 1998
Country affected
Republic of Ireland
Incident
The anthem of the United Kingdom was also played for the winning Irish-licensed Jordan team, despite being correctly played for their winning driver Damon Hill.
Type
Wrong country/outdated
Occasion
Auto racing
1999 World Men's Handball Championship, Cairo, Egypt
1999 World Men's Handball Championship, Cairo, Egypt
Event and host
1999 World Men's Handball Championship, Cairo, Egypt
Date
3 June 1999
Country affected
Spain
Incident
Before a match between Argentina and Spain, the anthem of Morocco was played for the latter.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Handball
2001 World Aquatics Championships, Fukuoka, Japan
2001 World Aquatics Championships, Fukuoka, Japan
Event and host
2001 World Aquatics Championships, Fukuoka, Japan
Date
29 July 2001
Country affected
Spain
Incident
No anthem was played.
Type
No music played
Occasion
Waterpolo
State visit of President Milan Kučan to Bucharest, Romania
State visit of President Milan Kučan to Bucharest, Romania
Event and host
State visit of President Milan Kučan to Bucharest, Romania
Date
11 July 2002
Country affected
Slovenia
Incident
The anthem of Slovakia was played upon Kučan's arrival at the airport.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Politics
2003 Davis Cup, Melbourne, Australia
2003 Davis Cup, Melbourne, Australia
Event and host
2003 Davis Cup, Melbourne, Australia
Date
28 November 2003
Country affected
Spain
Incident
Before the final between Australia and Spain the "Himno de Riego", the anthem used during the Second Spanish Republic, was played. The mistake provoked a reaction from Secretary of State for Sport Juan Antonio Gómez-Angulo, who was present and left the stadium in protest, and then instructed the Spanish team not to begin until an apology had been issued.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Tennis
2004 African Cup of Nations, Sfax, Tunisia
2004 African Cup of Nations, Sfax, Tunisia
Event and host
2004 African Cup of Nations, Sfax, Tunisia
Date
25 January 2004
Country affected
Zimbabwe
Incident
Before a match between Egypt and Zimbabwe "Ishe Komborera Africa", the Zimbabwean national anthem until 1994, was played.
Type
Football
2004 African Cup of Nations, Radès, Tunisia
2004 African Cup of Nations, Radès, Tunisia
Event and host
2004 African Cup of Nations, Radès, Tunisia
Date
11 February 2004
Country affected
Nigeria
Incident
Before the semi-final match between Nigeria and Tunisia, the national anthem of Liberia was played.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
State visit of President Ricardo Lagos to Asunción, Paraguay
State visit of President Ricardo Lagos to Asunción, Paraguay
Event and host
State visit of President Ricardo Lagos to Asunción, Paraguay
Date
14 May 2004
Country affected
Chile
Incident
During a reception for Lagos, a military band performed a verse of the national anthem of Chile that had been discarded due to its associations with the country's former military dictatorship.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Politics
2004 African Championships in Athletics, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
2004 African Championships in Athletics, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Event and host
2004 African Championships in Athletics, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Date
18 July 2004
Country affected
Zimbabwe
Incident
During the award ceremony "Ishe Komborera Africa", the Zimbabwean national anthem until 1994, was played. After several minutes' delay, gold medallist Lloyd Zvasiya took a microphone and sang the correct anthem himself.
Type
Athletics
2006 FIFA World Cup, Frankfurt, Germany
2006 FIFA World Cup, Frankfurt, Germany
Event and host
2006 FIFA World Cup, Frankfurt, Germany
Date
13 June 2006
Country affected
Togo
Incident
During a match between South Korea and Togo, the national anthem of South Korea was initially played a second time.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
Inauguration of the National Cricket Stadium, St. George's, Grenada
Inauguration of the National Cricket Stadium, St. George's, Grenada
Event and host
Inauguration of the National Cricket Stadium, St. George's, Grenada
Date
4 February 2007
Country affected
China
Incident
During the inauguration ceremony of the stadium, which was funded by the People's Republic of China (PRC), the national anthem of Taiwan, officially called the Republic of China (ROC), was played before the PRC's ambassador Qian Hongshan.
Type
Wrong country/outdated
Occasion
Cricket
RTBF television interview with Minister-President of Flanders Yves Leterme, Brussels, Belgium
RTBF television interview with Minister-President of Flanders Yves Leterme, Brussels, Belgium
Event and host
RTBF television interview with Minister-President of Flanders Yves Leterme, Brussels, Belgium
Date
21 July 2007
Country affected
Belgium
Incident
When asked by an interviewer if he could sing a part of the Belgian national anthem, the Minister-President of Flanders and future Prime Minister of Belgium Leterme began singing the French one instead.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Interview
2007 Tour de France, Paris, France
2007 Tour de France, Paris, France
Event and host
2007 Tour de France, Paris, France
Date
29 July 2007
Country affected
Spain
Incident
The national anthem of Denmark was initially played for winning Spaniard Alberto Contador at the podium ceremony.
Type
Cycling
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain
Event and host
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain
Date
9 March 2008
Country affected
China
Incident
The national anthem of Chile was played for gold medallist Liu Xiang during the award ceremony.
Type
Track and field
UEFA Euro 2008
UEFA Euro 2008
Event and host
UEFA Euro 2008
Date
17 April 2008 (first release)
Country affected
Northern Ireland
Incident
The national anthem of Ireland was used as the national anthem for the Northern Irish team within this video game. Publishers EA Sports apologised for the error.
Type
Football video game
Friendly international football match, Prague, Czech Republic
Friendly international football match, Prague, Czech Republic
Event and host
Friendly international football match, Prague, Czech Republic
Date
27 May 2008
Country affected
Lithuania
Incident
By mistake, the national anthem of Latvia was played instead.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
2008 Valencia GP2 Series round, Valencia, Spain
2008 Valencia GP2 Series round, Valencia, Spain
Event and host
2008 Valencia GP2 Series round, Valencia, Spain
Date
23 August 2008
Country affected
Russia
Incident
"Patrioticheskaya Pesnya", the former Russian national anthem used between 1991 and 2000, was played at the podium ceremony for winner Vitaly Petrov.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Auto racing
2008 AFL semi-final, Melbourne, Australia
2008 AFL semi-final, Melbourne, Australia
Event and host
2008 AFL semi-final, Melbourne, Australia
Date
12 September 2008
Country affected
Australia
Incident
Before a Western Bulldogs–Sydney Swans game, AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" was briefly played instead of the Australian national anthem.
Type
Non-anthem - Popular song
Occasion
Australian rules football
2009 Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, China
2009 Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, China
Event and host
2009 Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, China
Date
19 April 2009
Country affected
Austria
Incident
The national anthem of the United Kingdom was played for the winning Austrian-licensed Red Bull team.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Auto racing
Presentation of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to civil rights activists from the former GDR
Presentation of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to civil rights activists from the former GDR
Event and host
Presentation of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to civil rights activists from the former GDR
Date
16 November 2009
Country affected
Germany
Incident
East German writer and songwriter Stephan Krawczyk was asked to sing the German anthem at the end of a ceremony to award the Bundesverdienstkreuz to former GDR civil rights activists. Inititally he began singing the original first stanza of the German national anthem, which is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era. Bundespräsident Horst Köhler briefly joined him in singing "Deutschland, Deutschland..." before both were interrupted by other attendees.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Awards ceremony
2010 United States motorcycle Grand Prix, Monterey, California, USA
2010 United States motorcycle Grand Prix, Monterey, California, USA
Event and host
2010 United States motorcycle Grand Prix, Monterey, California, USA
Date
25 July 2010
Country affected
Spain
Incident
The national anthem of Italy was initially played at the podium ceremony for winning Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, before the anthem of Spain was played correctly.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Motorcycle racing
State visit of President Doris Leuthard to Oslo, Norway
State visit of President Doris Leuthard to Oslo, Norway
Event and host
State visit of President Doris Leuthard to Oslo, Norway
Date
14 October 2010
Country affected
Switzerland
Incident
During the opening ceremony of Leuthard's visit, a band performed what was variously reported as "a piece composed in the early 1960s" and "a traditional folk-song."
Type
Non-anthem - Folk song
Occasion
Politics
2011 Giro d'Italia, Milan, Italy
2011 Giro d'Italia, Milan, Italy
Event and host
2011 Giro d'Italia, Milan, Italy
Date
29 May 2011
Country affected
Spain
Incident
A version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain was played for race winner Alberto Contador.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Cycling
2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, Szeged, Hungary
2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, Szeged, Hungary
Event and host
2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, Szeged, Hungary
Date
19 August 2011
Country affected
Germany
Incident
The original first stanza of the German national anthem, which is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era, was played during the award ceremony for gold medallists Anne Knorr and Debora Niche.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Canoe sprint
2011 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Devonshire Parish, Bermuda
2011 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Devonshire Parish, Bermuda
Event and host
2011 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Devonshire Parish, Bermuda
Date
7 October 2011
Country affected
Bermuda
Incident
Before a game between Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago, the national anthem of the United States was played.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
6th Kostanay Regional Festival of Skiing, Kostanay, Kazakhstan
6th Kostanay Regional Festival of Skiing, Kostanay, Kazakhstan
Event and host
6th Kostanay Regional Festival of Skiing, Kostanay, Kazakhstan
Date
5 March 2012
Country affected
Kazakhstan
Incident
At the opening ceremony, the first seconds of "Livin' la Vida Loca", a Latin pop song by Ricky Martin, were played.
Type
Non-anthem - Foreign popular song
Occasion
Skiing
Amir of Kuwait International Shooting Grand Prix, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Amir of Kuwait International Shooting Grand Prix, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Event and host
Amir of Kuwait International Shooting Grand Prix, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Date
21 March 2012
Country affected
Kazakhstan
Incident
"O Kazakhstan", a parody anthem from the film Borat, was played during gold medallist Mariya Dmitriyenko's award ceremony. The ceremony was later rerun with the correct anthem.
Type
Non-anthem - Other
Occasion
Shooting
Serbia
Serbia
Event and host
Serbia
Date
At the same event as the Borat incident, the organizers also reportedly failed to play the correct Serbian national anthem.
Country affected
Unknown
2012 Women's Hockey Investec Cup, Chiswick, United Kingdom
2012 Women's Hockey Investec Cup, Chiswick, United Kingdom
Event and host
2012 Women's Hockey Investec Cup, Chiswick, United Kingdom
Date
5 June 2012
Country affected
South Africa
Incident
Before a match between South Africa and Great Britain, the former, apartheid-era South African national anthem "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika" was played.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Field hockey
Friendly match, Brazil
Friendly match, Brazil
Event and host
Friendly match, Brazil
Date
13 July 2012
Country affected
Spain
Incident
In the last match against the Brazilian team, the anthem of Portugal was played.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Basketball
2012–13 Men's FIH Hockey World League, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2012–13 Men's FIH Hockey World League, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Event and host
2012–13 Men's FIH Hockey World League, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Date
14 June 2013
Country affected
Australia
Incident
Before a match between Australia and Belgium, the national anthem of New Zealand was initially played.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Field hockey
2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Alytus, Lithuania
2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Alytus, Lithuania
Event and host
2013 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Alytus, Lithuania
Date
29 July 2013
Country affected
Serbia
Incident
Before the semifinal between Serbia and Portugal, the national anthem of Yugoslavia was played.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Football
2013 FIA WTCC Race of Argentina
Termas de Río Hondo, Argentina
2013 FIA WTCC Race of Argentina
Termas de Río Hondo, Argentina
Event and host
2013 FIA WTCC Race of Argentina
Termas de Río Hondo, Argentina
Date
4 August 2013
Country affected
Germany
Incident
The original first stanza of the national anthem of Germany, which is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era, was played for the winning constructor during the award ceremony.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Auto racing
2013 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, Kyiv, Ukraine
2013 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, Kyiv, Ukraine
Event and host
2013 Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, Kyiv, Ukraine
Date
28 August 2013
Country affected
Ukraine
Incident
The national anthem of Russia was initially played for gold medallist Hanna Rizatdinova during the award ceremony, which was also the same tune as the anthem of the Soviet Union from 1944 to 1991.
Type
Wrong country/outdated
Occasion
Gymnastics
Friendly match between Malta and Slovakia, Žilina, Slovakia
Friendly match between Malta and Slovakia, Žilina, Slovakia
Event and host
Friendly match between Malta and Slovakia, Žilina, Slovakia
Date
4 September 2014
Country affected
Malta
Incident
Before the match, the first few seconds of Linkin Park's "Numb" were played.
Type
Non-anthem - Foreign popular song
Occasion
Football
2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Nanning, China
2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Nanning, China
Event and host
2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Nanning, China
Date
12 October 2014
Country affected
Ukraine
Incident
The national anthem of Uzbekistan was played for gold medallist Oleg Verniaiev during the award ceremony.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Gymnastics
2014 Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup
2014 Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup
Event and host
2014 Beach Soccer Intercontinental Cup
Date
4 November 2014
Country affected
Morocco
Incident
An instrumental version of the national anthem of Russia was played instead of the Cherifian Anthem for Morocco before the match between the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Beach soccer
2014–15 Kontinental Hockey League, Bratislava, Slovakia
2014–15 Kontinental Hockey League, Bratislava, Slovakia
Event and host
2014–15 Kontinental Hockey League, Bratislava, Slovakia
Date
25 November 2014
Country affected
Russia
Incident
Before a match between Lokomotiv Yaroslavl and HC Slovan Bratislava, the State Anthem of the Soviet Union – specifically the Stalinist version – was played.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Ice hockey
2015 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship, Buffalo, New York, USA
2015 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship, Buffalo, New York, USA
Event and host
2015 IIHF U18 Women's World Championship, Buffalo, New York, USA
Date
5 January 2015
Country affected
Russia
Incident
Before a match between Russia and the Czech Republic "Patrioticheskaya Pesnya", the former Russian national anthem used between 1991 and 2000, was played.
Type
Outdated
2015 King's Cup, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
2015 King's Cup, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Event and host
2015 King's Cup, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
Date
1 February 2015
Country affected
Honduras
Incident
Before a match between Honduras and Thailand, the national anthem of Uzbekistan was played.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
2015 FIL World Luge Championships, Sigulda, Latvia
2015 FIL World Luge Championships, Sigulda, Latvia
Event and host
2015 FIL World Luge Championships, Sigulda, Latvia
Date
14 February 2015
Country affected
Germany
Incident
The national anthem of the former German Democratic Republic was played for gold medallists Tobias Arlt and Tobias Wendl at the award ceremony.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Luge (Double)
Friendly match between Argentina and El Salvador, Landover, Maryland, USA
Friendly match between Argentina and El Salvador, Landover, Maryland, USA
Event and host
Friendly match between Argentina and El Salvador, Landover, Maryland, USA
Date
28 March 2015
Country affected
El Salvador
Incident
Before the match, the anthem of the Isle of Man was played. (The fact that this has happened more than once may be to do with the Isle of Man's Gaelic name of "Ellan Vannin", which is close to "El Salvador" in alphabetical order.)
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
2015 World Deaf Basketball Championship, Taiwan
2015 World Deaf Basketball Championship, Taiwan
Event and host
2015 World Deaf Basketball Championship, Taiwan
Date
12 July 2015
Country affected
Lithuania
Incident
The anthem of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic was played during the award ceremony, during which the Lithuanian team won gold medals.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Basketball
2015 BWF World Championships, Jakarta, Indonesia
2015 BWF World Championships, Jakarta, Indonesia
Event and host
2015 BWF World Championships, Jakarta, Indonesia
Date
16 August 2015
Country affected
Spain
Incident
During the award ceremony a version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and are generally associated with Francoist Spain was played for the gold medallist Carolina Marín.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Badminton
Skeleton America Cup, Calgary, Canada
Skeleton America Cup, Calgary, Canada
Event and host
Skeleton America Cup, Calgary, Canada
Date
13 November 2015
Country affected
Spain
Incident
After Ander Mirambell won the stage in Calgary, the anthem did not sound and he had to play it on his phone.
Type
No music initially played
Occasion
Skeleton
Copa América Centenario, Glendale, Arizona, USA
Copa América Centenario, Glendale, Arizona, USA
Event and host
Copa América Centenario, Glendale, Arizona, USA
Date
5 June 2016
Country affected
Uruguay
Incident
Before a match between Mexico and Uruguay, the national anthem of Chile was played.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
Qualifier for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Manila, Philippines
Qualifier for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Manila, Philippines
Event and host
Qualifier for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Manila, Philippines
Date
6 July 2016
Country affected
New Zealand
Incident
Before a basketball match between New Zealand and France, the national anthem of Canada was played.
Type
Basketball
2016 Summer Olympics, Manaus, Brazil
2016 Summer Olympics, Manaus, Brazil
Event and host
2016 Summer Olympics, Manaus, Brazil
Date
4 August 2016
Country affected
Nigeria
Incident
Before a football match between Japan and Nigeria, the national anthem of Niger was played.
Type
Football
Skeleton America Cup, Calgary, Canada
Skeleton America Cup, Calgary, Canada
Event and host
Skeleton America Cup, Calgary, Canada
Date
14 November 2016
Country affected
Spain
Incident
After Ander Mirambell won the stage in Calgary, the "Himno de Riego", the anthem used during the Second Spanish Republic, was played.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Skeleton
2017 Fed Cup, Maui, Hawaii, USA
2017 Fed Cup, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Event and host
2017 Fed Cup, Maui, Hawaii, USA
Date
12 February 2017
Country affected
Germany
Incident
Before a match between Andrea Petkovic and CoCo Vandeweghe, the original first stanza of the national anthem of Germany was sung; this is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era. Petković was disturbed by the incident, and called it "the worst experience that has ever happened to me."
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Tennis
2017 Biathlon World Championships, Hochfilzen, Austria
2017 Biathlon World Championships, Hochfilzen, Austria
Event and host
2017 Biathlon World Championships, Hochfilzen, Austria
Date
18 February 2017
Country affected
Russia
Incident
"Patrioticheskaya Pesnya", the former Russian national anthem used between 1991 and 2000, was played during the award ceremony for the gold medalists Alexey Volkov, Maxim Tsvetkov, Anton Babikov, and Anton Shipulin.
Type
Biathlon
2017 IIHF World Championship, Cologne, Germany
2017 IIHF World Championship, Cologne, Germany
Event and host
2017 IIHF World Championship, Cologne, Germany
Date
6 May 2017
Country affected
Slovakia
Incident
After a match where Slovakia beat Italy, the national anthem of Slovenia was played.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Ice hockey
2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Suwon, South Korea
2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Suwon, South Korea
Event and host
2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Suwon, South Korea
Date
24 May 2017
Country affected
Uruguay
Incident
The Chilean national anthem was played incorrectly during the Uruguayan part, drawing criticism. The Uruguayan coaches immediately protested, and eventually the Uruguayan national anthem was played after the Japanese national anthem, making a total of three national anthems played during the match. The World Cup organizing committee later admitted the mistake and apologized.
Type
Football
2017 European Athletics U20 Championships, Grosseto, Italy
2017 European Athletics U20 Championships, Grosseto, Italy
Event and host
2017 European Athletics U20 Championships, Grosseto, Italy
Date
23 July 2017
Country affected
Belarus
Incident
The national anthem of Bosnia and Herzegovina was played during Viyaleta Skvartsova's medal ceremony, prompting her to walk away from the proceedings.
Type
Track and field
2017 Jerez Formula 2 round, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
2017 Jerez Formula 2 round, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
Event and host
2017 Jerez Formula 2 round, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
Date
7 October 2017
Country affected
Monaco
Incident
The national anthem of France was initially played during Charles Leclerc's podium ceremony.
Type
Auto racing
2017 World Weightlifting Championships, Anaheim, USA
2017 World Weightlifting Championships, Anaheim, USA
Event and host
2017 World Weightlifting Championships, Anaheim, USA
Date
4 December 2017
Country affected
Spain
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Powerlifting
2018 Rugby Europe Championship, Cologne, Germany
2018 Rugby Europe Championship, Cologne, Germany
Event and host
2018 Rugby Europe Championship, Cologne, Germany
Date
18 March 2018
Country affected
Russia
Incident
Before a match between Germany and Russia, the State Anthem of the Soviet Union was played. Despite this error, the Russian team continued to sing the Soviet anthem lyrics.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Rugby
2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship, Zandvoort, Netherlands
2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship, Zandvoort, Netherlands
Event and host
2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship, Zandvoort, Netherlands
Date
15 July 2018
Country affected
Russia
Incident
"Patrioticheskaya Pesnya", the former Russian national anthem used between 1991 and 2000, was played during Nikita Troitskiy's podium ceremony.
Type
Auto racing
2018 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics, Trujillo, Peru
2018 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics, Trujillo, Peru
Event and host
2018 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics, Trujillo, Peru
Date
25 August 2018
Country affected
Spain
Incident
A version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain was played for winner of hammer throw event Javier Cienfuegos.
Type
Athletics
2018 World Masters Athletics Championships, Málaga, Spain
2018 World Masters Athletics Championships, Málaga, Spain
Event and host
2018 World Masters Athletics Championships, Málaga, Spain
Date
5 September 2018
Country affected
Germany
Incident
The original first stanza of the national anthem of Germany, which is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era, was played for the German gold medalists during the award ceremony.
Type
Marathon
Oktoberfest celebration in Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA
Oktoberfest celebration in Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA
Event and host
Oktoberfest celebration in Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA
Date
6 October 2018
Country affected
Germany
Incident
The original first stanza of the national anthem of Germany was played, which is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era.
Type
Oktoberfest
2018–19 UEFA Nations League, Yerevan, Armenia
2018–19 UEFA Nations League, Yerevan, Armenia
Event and host
2018–19 UEFA Nations League, Yerevan, Armenia
Date
13 October 2018
Country affected
Gibraltar
Incident
Before a match between Gibraltar and Armenia, the national anthem of Liechtenstein was played.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
2018 AFC U-19 Championship, Bekasi, Indonesia
2018 AFC U-19 Championship, Bekasi, Indonesia
Event and host
2018 AFC U-19 Championship, Bekasi, Indonesia
Date
22 October 2018
Country affected
South Korea
Incident
Before a match between South Korea and Jordan, the national anthem of North Korea was played.
2018–19 UEFA Nations League D, Skopje, Macedonia
2018–19 UEFA Nations League D, Skopje, Macedonia
Event and host
2018–19 UEFA Nations League D, Skopje, Macedonia
Date
19 November 2018
Country affected
Gibraltar
Incident
Before a match between Gibraltar and Macedonia, "God Save the Queen" was initially played before "Gibraltar Anthem", Gibraltar's territorial anthem, was played correctly.[Not a reliable source]
2018 Meca Hockey Games, Lørenskog, Norway
2018 Meca Hockey Games, Lørenskog, Norway
Event and host
2018 Meca Hockey Games, Lørenskog, Norway
Date
13 December 2018
Country affected
Belarus
Incident
Before a match between Belarus and Norway, "Kasiu Yas' kanushynu", a song by Belarusian folk rock band Pesniary, was played.
Type
Non-anthem - Popular song
Occasion
Ice hockey
Murcia, Spain
Murcia, Spain
Event and host
Murcia, Spain
Date
28 April 2019
Country affected
Spain
Incident
A version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain was played.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Politics
Cotec Europe Forum, Naples, Italy
Cotec Europe Forum, Naples, Italy
Event and host
Cotec Europe Forum, Naples, Italy
Date
7 May 2019
Country affected
Spain
Incident
During a visit by King Felipe VI and former King Juan Carlos I, a choir of schoolchildren welcomed them with a version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Politics
Al Roudan Tournament, Kuwait
Al Roudan Tournament, Kuwait
Event and host
Al Roudan Tournament, Kuwait
Date
16 May 2019
Country affected
Italy
Incident
The Italian footballer Francesco Totti, a special guest at the Al Roudan futsal tournament, was welcomed with the anthem of the Italian political party Forza Italia, founded by Silvio Berlusconi, which was played instead of the Italian national anthem.
Type
Non-anthem - Other
Occasion
Football
Rugby match between Georgia and Scotland
Rugby match between Georgia and Scotland
Event and host
Rugby match between Georgia and Scotland
Date
6 September 2019
Country affected
Georgia
Incident
The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) mistakenly played a Soviet-era song, rather than the current Georgian national anthem.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Rugby
2020 UEFA Euro qualifier, Paris, France
2020 UEFA Euro qualifier, Paris, France
Event and host
2020 UEFA Euro qualifier, Paris, France
Date
7 September 2019
Country affected
Albania
Incident
Before a match between Albania and France, the national anthem of Andorra was played. The kick-off was delayed as the Albanian side refused to begin until the correct anthem was played. French President Emmanuel Macron apologized for the mistake.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match, Sydney, Australia
2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match, Sydney, Australia
Event and host
2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match, Sydney, Australia
Date
Argentina
Country affected
At the ceremony before a match between the Argentine national rugby team and Australian team Randwick DRUFC, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 was initially played instead of the Argentine national anthem.
Incident
Non-anthem - Foreign popular song
Type
Rugby union
LGU in Misamis Oriental Provincial Capitol, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, Philippines
LGU in Misamis Oriental Provincial Capitol, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, Philippines
Event and host
LGU in Misamis Oriental Provincial Capitol, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, Philippines
Date
17 October 2019
Country affected
Philippines
Incident
The Cebuano version of the national anthem of the Philippines was performed during Misamis Oriental's LGU.
Type
Wrong language
Occasion
Politics
2020 ATP Cup, Sydney, Australia
2020 ATP Cup, Sydney, Australia
Event and host
2020 ATP Cup, Sydney, Australia
Date
2 January 2020
Country affected
Moldova
Incident
Before Moldova's opening tie with Belgium, the national anthem of Romania, which was also used as the Moldovan anthem from 1991 to 1994, was played.
Type
Wrong country/outdated
Occasion
Tennis
2020 Copa do Brasil, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil
2020 Copa do Brasil, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil
Event and host
2020 Copa do Brasil, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil
Date
13 February 2020
Country affected
Brazil
Incident
Before the match between Novo Hamburgo and Ponte Preta, the first few seconds of the arrocha funk [pt] song 'Tudo OK' by Thiaguinho MT, Mila and JS O Mão de Ouro were played incorrectly before the anthem of Rio Grande do Sul.
Type
Non-anthem - Popular song
Occasion
Football
2020 Baja Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
2020 Baja Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
Event and host
2020 Baja Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
Date
17 December 2020
Country affected
Spain
Incident
A version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain was played for race winner Carlos Sainz Sr.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Auto racing
2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Event and host
2022 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Date
11 June 2021
Country affected
Indonesia
Incident
Before a match between Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates, the national anthem of Malaysia was initially played.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Football
2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Monza, Italy
2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Monza, Italy
Event and host
2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, Monza, Italy
Date
20 June 2021
Country affected
South Africa
Incident
The national anthem played for Kelvin van der Linde for the second race in Monza was Die Stem van Suid-Afrika which was used during the apartheid era in South Africa.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Auto racing
UEFA Euro 2020, United Kingdom
UEFA Euro 2020, United Kingdom
Event and host
UEFA Euro 2020, United Kingdom
Date
30 June 2021
Country affected
Germany
Incident
The original first stanza of the national anthem of Germany was subtitled by Dutch broadcaster NPO. This stanza is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Football
2020 Summer Paralympic Games, Tokyo, Japan
2020 Summer Paralympic Games, Tokyo, Japan
Event and host
2020 Summer Paralympic Games, Tokyo, Japan
Date
26 August 2021
Country affected
RPC (Russian Paralympic Committee)
Incident
At the awards ceremony for gold track cycling medalist Mikhail Astashov, the anthem of the International Paralympic Committee was played instead of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, which had been agreed on as the anthem for the RPC during Russia's suspension from official Paralympic participation. After the mistake was noticed, a decision was taken to hold the victory ceremony again, with the correct anthem.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Track cycling
2021 European Volleyball Championship
2021 European Volleyball Championship
Event and host
2021 European Volleyball Championship
Date
18 September 2021
Country affected
Slovenia
Incident
Before European Championship semifinal between Poland and Slovenia anthem of Serbia was played before correct anthem of Slovenia was played. Slovenian media accused Poland, the host of the match, that it was to provoke Slovenian players and make them distracted.
Type
Wrong country anthem
Occasion
Volleyball
2021 EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships, Budva, Montenegro
2021 EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships, Budva, Montenegro
Event and host
2021 EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships, Budva, Montenegro
Date
23 October 2021
Country affected
Spain
Incident
A version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain was played during the award ceremony for gold medallist Rafael Lozano Jr..
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Boxing
2021–22 Kontinental Hockey League, Helsinki, Finland
2021–22 Kontinental Hockey League, Helsinki, Finland
Event and host
2021–22 Kontinental Hockey League, Helsinki, Finland
Date
22 December 2021
Country affected
Belarus
Incident
Before a match between HC Dinamo Minsk and Jokerit, "Belau rekid", the anthem of Palau, was misidentified and played due to the title's resemblance to the word "Belarus". Jokerit, who hosted the match, was subsequently fined 100 000 rubles by the KHL.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Ice hockey
2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Limbé, Cameroon
2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Limbé, Cameroon
Event and host
2021 Africa Cup of Nations, Limbé, Cameroon
Date
12 January 2022
Country affected
Mauritania
Incident
Before a match between Gambia and Mauritania, the country's former national anthem was played; two attempts were made to correct the mistake but failed, as the former anthem repeatedly played.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Football
2022 Tournoi de France, Le Havre, France
2022 Tournoi de France, Le Havre, France
Event and host
2022 Tournoi de France, Le Havre, France
Date
16 February 2022
Country affected
Finland
Incident
Before a match between Finland and France, the national anthem of Albania was played.
Type
Wrong country
Night boxing in Wrocław, Poland
Night boxing in Wrocław, Poland
Event and host
Night boxing in Wrocław, Poland
Date
20 February 2022
Country affected
Germany
Incident
The original first stanza of the German national anthem, which is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era, was played before the boxing match between Nikodem Jeżewski and Artur Mann.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Boxing
2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, Istanbul, Turkey
2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, Istanbul, Turkey
Event and host
2022 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, Istanbul, Turkey
Date
13 May 2022
Country affected
Austria
Incident
Before a boxing match between Eva Voraberger and Seren Cetin, the national anthem of Austria-Hungary was played.
2022 European Amateur Boxing Championships, Yerevan, Armenia
2022 European Amateur Boxing Championships, Yerevan, Armenia
Event and host
2022 European Amateur Boxing Championships, Yerevan, Armenia
Date
30 May 2022
Country affected
Spain
Incident
A version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain was played during the award ceremony of gold medallist Martín Molina.
2022 Asia Rugby Sevens Series, Incheon, South Korea
2022 Asia Rugby Sevens Series, Incheon, South Korea
Event and host
2022 Asia Rugby Sevens Series, Incheon, South Korea
Date
13 November 2022
Country affected
Hong Kong
Incident
Before a match between Hong Kong and South Korea, "Glory to Hong Kong", a protest anthem from the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, was played. The incident led the Hong Kong government to demand an investigation.
Type
Non-anthem - Other
Occasion
Rugby sevens
2022 elections in India
2022 elections in India
Event and host
2022 elections in India
Date
16 November 2022
Country affected
India
Incident
At a political meeting of Bharat Jodo Yatra, the anthem of Nepal was played. When attempting to correct the mistake, "Vande Mataram", India's national song, was played instead of the Indian national anthem. At a third attempt, all five stanzas of Rabindranath Tagore's hymn "Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata" were played; the anthem only uses the first stanza.
Type
Wrong country/non-anthem - Patriotic song
Occasion
Politics
2022 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2022 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Event and host
2022 Asian Classic Powerlifting Championship, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Date
2 December 2022
Country affected
Hong Kong
Incident
"Glory to Hong Kong" was initially played. After around 15 seconds, gold medal winner Susanna Lin signalled that there was a problem, and organisers then played the "March of the Volunteers" correctly. The incident led the Hong Kong government to demand an investigation.
Type
Non-anthem - Other
Occasion
Powerlifting
2023 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2023 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Event and host
2023 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Date
28 February 2023
Country affected
Hong Kong
Incident
Before a match between Iran and Hong Kong, "Glory to Hong Kong" was played. Some Hong Kong players signalled that there was a problem, and after 90 seconds, the organisers correctly played the "March of the Volunteers".
Type
Ice hockey
Indonesia International Basketball Invitational, Jakarta, Indonesia
Indonesia International Basketball Invitational, Jakarta, Indonesia
Event and host
Indonesia International Basketball Invitational, Jakarta, Indonesia
Date
2 August 2023
Country affected
United Arab Emirates
Incident
The national anthem of Saudi Arabia was played for United Arab Emirates before their match against Lebanon.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Basketball
UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying tournament, Brussels, Belgium
UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying tournament, Brussels, Belgium
Event and host
UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying tournament, Brussels, Belgium
Date
19 November 2023
Country affected
Belgium
Incident
The national anthem of Sweden was initially played before a match between Belgium and Azerbaijan at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
Type
Football
2024 World Triathlon Cup, Hong Kong
2024 World Triathlon Cup, Hong Kong
Event and host
2024 World Triathlon Cup, Hong Kong
Date
24 March 2024
Country affected
United Kingdom
Incident
The national anthem of Spain was played for the British gold medal winner Sian Rainsley.
Type
Triathlon
Jaca, Spain
Jaca, Spain
Event and host
Jaca, Spain
Date
15 June 2024
Country affected
Spain
Incident
A version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain was played during the medal ceremony of the Spanish national team.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Inline hockey
2024 Summer Olympics, Paris, France
2024 Summer Olympics, Paris, France
Event and host
2024 Summer Olympics, Paris, France
Date
28 July 2024
Country affected
South Sudan
Incident
Before a basketball match between Puerto Rico and South Sudan, the national anthem of Sudan was initially played.
Type
Wrong country/outdated
Occasion
Basketball
2024 Saturday’s Hispanic Heritage Match, Austin, Texas
2024 Saturday’s Hispanic Heritage Match, Austin, Texas
Event and host
2024 Saturday’s Hispanic Heritage Match, Austin, Texas
Date
12 October 2024
Country affected
Panama
Incident
Before a football/soccer match between Panama and the United States, when the Panamanian national anthem was set to be played, the Himno Istmeño was mistakenly replaced by the song 'Zumba' by Puerto Rican singer Don Omar.
Type
Non-anthem - Foreign popular song
Occasion
Football
2026 European Men's Handball Championship qualification, Varaždin, Croatia
2026 European Men's Handball Championship qualification, Varaždin, Croatia
Event and host
2026 European Men's Handball Championship qualification, Varaždin, Croatia
Date
7 November 2024
Country affected
Belgium Croatia
Incident
Before a handball match between Croatia and Belgium, when the Belgian national anthem was set to be played, a Croatian fan song "Malo nas je, al' nas ima" by Dino Dvornik and Boris Novković started playing instead. What came next was approximately 30 seconds of silence, followed by a Microsoft Windows error sound. After another few seconds of silence, La Brabançonne finally started playing. However, when it was time for the Croatian anthem to be played, the Belgian anthem played again for a brief moment, until it was switched to Lijepa naša domovino.
Type
Non-anthem - Other/wrong country
Occasion
Handball
WBA World Heavy Championship, Sofia, Bulgaria
WBA World Heavy Championship, Sofia, Bulgaria
Event and host
WBA World Heavy Championship, Sofia, Bulgaria
Date
7 December 2024
Country affected
Germany
Incident
The original first stanza of the German national anthem, which is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era, was played before the boxing match between Kubrat Pulev and Mahmoud Charr.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Boxing
2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Lahore, Pakistan
2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Lahore, Pakistan
Event and host
2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Lahore, Pakistan
Date
22 February 2025
Country affected
Australia
Incident
The national anthem of India was briefly played before a match between England and Australia.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Cricket
World Masters Athletics Championships, Gainesville, USA
World Masters Athletics Championships, Gainesville, USA
Event and host
World Masters Athletics Championships, Gainesville, USA
Date
1 April 2025
Country affected
Spain
Incident
During the award ceremony a version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain was played.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Athletics
2025 IIHF World U18 Championships, USA
2025 IIHF World U18 Championships, USA
Event and host
2025 IIHF World U18 Championships, USA
Date
23 April 2025
Country affected
Latvia
Incident
After a win against Norway U18, "Dzelzgriezējs" by Līvi, a rock song, was played instead of the Latvian national anthem.[citation needed]
Type
Non-anthem - Popular song
Occasion
Ice hockey
2025 German fire fighters championship
2025 German fire fighters championship
Event and host
2025 German fire fighters championship
Date
31 July 2025
Country affected
Germany
Incident
At the opening ceremony of the fire fighters championship, the original first stanza of the German national anthem was played. The volunteer responsible for the incident was released from duty.
Type
Outdated
Occasion
Fire fighters championship
2025 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2025 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Event and host
2025 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Date
22 August 2025
Country affected
Germany
Incident
At the all-around medal ceremony following Darja Varfolomeev’s gold-medal win, the national anthem of Georgia was mistakenly played instead of the German anthem.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Rhythmic gymnastics
2025 Men's Asia Cup, UAE
2025 Men's Asia Cup, UAE
Event and host
2025 Men's Asia Cup, UAE
Date
14 September 2025
Country affected
Pakistan
Incident
Before a cricket match between India and Pakistan, first few seconds of the song "Jalebi baby" by Tesher was played instead of the Pakistani national anthem.
Type
Non-anthem-Popular song
Occasion
Cricket
Plenary session of the Supreme Court of Mexico
Plenary session of the Supreme Court of Mexico
Event and host
Plenary session of the Supreme Court of Mexico
Date
24 October 2025
Country affected
Mexico
Incident
At the closing ceremony of a session of the Supreme Court, the song "Qué precio tiene el cielo?" by salsa singer Marc Anthony was initially played instead of the Mexican national anthem.
Type
Non-anthem-Popular song
Occasion
Judiciary
| Event and host | Date | Country affected | Incident | Type | Occasion |
| Opening ceremony of the Kiel Canal, Rendsburg, Germany | 21 June 1895 | Ottoman Empire | When the Ottoman ship "Fuad" sailed past the naval band present as part of the ceremony, the band noticed that they did not have the sheet music for the Ottoman anthem. Instead, they played the German folk song "Guter Mond" (engl. "Good Moon"), a reference to the crescent of the Ottoman flag. | Non-anthem - Foreign folk song | Politics |
| 1920 Summer Olympics, Antwerp, Belgium | 18 August 1920 | Italy | After Ugo Frigerio won the gold medal in the 10 kilometres walk, the band present was unable to find the score of the anthem of Italy, and instead played O sole mio," one of the most popular Italian songs of the time. The music was so well known by the public that the crowd all sang it together. | Non-anthem - Popular song | Athletics |
| 1952 Summer Olympics, Helsinki, Finland | 26 July 1952 | Luxembourg | The band improvised a tune in lieu of the anthem of Luxembourg after Josy Barthel unexpectedly won gold at the 1500 metres, as they did not have the sheet music. | Non-anthem - Other | Athletics |
| State visit of Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer to the USA | April 1953 | West Germany | During Adenauer's visit to Chicago, a band performed the carnival song "Heidewitzka, Herr Kapitän [de]". | Non-anthem - Folk song | Politics |
| State visit of President Camille Chamoun to São Paulo, Brazil | May 1954 | Lebanon | A military band performed the national anthem of Israel upon Chamoun's arrival at the airport, as the band leader had mistakenly distributed the wrong sheet music. | Wrong country | |
| 1957 Ice Hockey World Championships, Moscow, USSR | 5 March 1957 | Sweden | Sweden unexpectedly won the tournament against the Soviet Union, and the host country did not have a recording of their national anthem ready to play. The players agreed to sing the anthem in place of a recording, but as they did not know the full lyrics, they instead sang the drinking song "Helan Går". | Non-anthem - Folk song | Ice hockey |
| Friendly match between Italy and England, Wembley, United Kingdom | 6 May 1959 | Italy | "Marcia Reale", the anthem of the Kingdom of Italy, was played before the match. | Outdated | Football |
| 1967 South African Grand Prix, Midrand, South Africa | 2 January 1967 | Mexico | Not having sheet music for the national anthem of Mexico, a brass band performed "Jarabe Tapatío" for winning driver Pedro Rodríguez during the podium ceremony.[citation needed] | Non-anthem - Folk song | Auto racing |
| Friendly match between Czechoslovakia and Spain, Prague, Czechoslovakia | 1 October 1967 | Spain | A military band played "Himno de Riego", the anthem used during the Second Spanish Republic, rather than the anthem in use at the time. The Czechoslovak Football Association apologised to the Spanish Football Federation with a letter stating that a functionary of the Czechoslovak football body provoked[clarification needed] the mistake, specifying that "it was the only score they had at hand". | Outdated | Football |
| State visit of Chairman of the RCC Muammar Gaddafi to Paris, France | 23 November 1973 | Libya | During Gaddafi's welcoming ceremony, the band of the Republican Guard played "Libya, Libya, Libya", the country's former national anthem under King Idris, instead of "Allahu Akbar", the anthem in use at the time. | Politics | |
| 1977 Austrian Grand Prix, Spielberg, Austria | 14 August 1977 | Australia | It has been falsely claimed that "Happy Birthday to You" was played for winning driver Alan Jones. However, "Advance Australia Fair" was actually played, different from what Jones remembered. | Non-anthem - Foreign folk song | Auto racing |
| State visit of President Nicolae Ceaușescu to Washington, D.C., USA | 13 April 1978 | Romania | During Ceaușescu's reception at the White House, the United States Army Band performed "Fatherland Romania", variously referred to as an anthem "from capitalist days" or the predecessor anthem to "Trei culori", Romania's anthem at the time. | Outdated | Politics |
| 1978 World Chess Championship between Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi, Baguio, Philippines | 17 July 1978 | Soviet Union | At the opening ceremony of the match between Karpov and Korchnoi, the latter had planned to sit down in protest as the State Anthem of the Soviet Union played. However, the organisers mistakenly played The Internationale instead, which had functioned as the Soviet anthem until 1944. | Chess | |
| 6th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, Havana, Cuba | 3 September 1979 | Iraq | At the opening ceremony, a brass band played the anthem of Egypt for Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. | Wrong country | Politics |
| Friendly match between West Germany and Yugoslavia, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg | 7 June 1983 | Yugoslavia | Before the match, the band played the anthem of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav players refused to begin the game for nearly 90 minutes, until the correct anthem was performed.[citation needed] | Outdated | Football |
| 1985 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Bormio, Italy | 7 February 1985 | West Germany | At the awards ceremony, the East German national anthem was played for West German gold medallist Markus Wasmeier. | Wrong country | Giant slalom |
| 1986 FIFA World Cup OFC qualifiers, Melbourne, Australia | 20 October 1985 | Australia | Before a match between Australia and Israel, the West German national anthem was initially played for the Australian team. | Football | |
| 1986 FIFA World Cup, Mexico | 1986 | Belgium | The West German national anthem was played for Belgium. | ||
| 1986 FIFA World Cup, Guadalajara, Mexico | 1 June 1986 | Brazil | Before the opening game of Group D between Brazil and Spain, the Brazilian Flag Anthem was played instead of the Brazilian National Anthem. | Non-anthem - Patriotic song | |
| 1987 Rugby World Cup , Dunedin | 30 May 1987 | Canada | Before the match between Canada and Ireland, due to Canada choosing not to play "O Canada" as Ireland did not have an anthem for the away matches (with Amhrán na bhFiann being the one used when Ireland plays in Dublin) and the political situation in the island, the organisers played God Defend New Zealand. However, a group of Irish supporters in the crowd sang an impromptu rendition of Amhrán na BhFiann before the kick-off.[citation needed] | Wrong country | Rugby union |
| Moscow Bears–Tacoma Express match, Tacoma, Washington, USA | 2 July 1990 | Soviet Union | The Turkish national anthem was played for the Moscow Bears, who were touring the United States as the Soviet national American football team. The Tacoma Dome crew realized the mistake while "The Star-Spangled Banner" was being performed for the hosting Express, then played the Soviet anthem afterward. | Wrong country | American football |
| 1991 Five Nations Championship, Paris, France | 19 January 1991 | Scotland | Marche des Soldats de Robert Bruce (the air of "Scots Wha Hae") was played by a Gendarmerie band for the Scottish team before a game against France, as the score for "Flower of Scotland" was not available at the time.[citation needed] | Non-anthem - Patriotic song | Rugby union |
| Friendly match between Brazil and Bulgaria, Uberlândia, Brazil | 28 May 1991 | Bulgaria | A Brazilian military band played "Shumi Maritsa", the national anthem of the Kingdom of Bulgaria, allegedly misunderstanding that the anthem had changed after fall of communism in the country.[citation needed] | Outdated | Rugby |
| Canadian Football League match between Las Vegas Posse and Sacramento Gold Miners | 16 July 1994 | Canada | At a match in Las Vegas between the two American teams, part of the short-lived CFL expansion into the US, singer Dennis Casey Park was approached at one day's notice to sing the anthem, which he assumed would be "The Star-Spangled Banner." He only learned a few hours later that it would be "O Canada," with which he was unfamiliar. He attempted to learn it, but at the match, he was unable to remember the melody as there was no backing music. He sang part of the anthem to the tune of "O Tannenbaum." The CFL was deluged with complaints, including one from the office of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and team owner Nick Mileti apologized. Two weeks later, Park was invited to perform "O Canada" at a Hamilton Tiger-Cats game and did so correctly. | Non-anthem - Foreign folk song | Canadian football |
| State visit of Federal President Roman Herzog to Porto Alegre, Brazil | 23 November 1995 | Germany | During a reception for Herzog, a police band performed the anthem of the former German Democratic Republic. | Outdated | Politics |
| 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, Francorchamps, Belgium | 30 August 1998 | Republic of Ireland | The anthem of the United Kingdom was also played for the winning Irish-licensed Jordan team, despite being correctly played for their winning driver Damon Hill. | Wrong country/outdated | Auto racing |
| 1999 World Men's Handball Championship, Cairo, Egypt | 3 June 1999 | Spain | Before a match between Argentina and Spain, the anthem of Morocco was played for the latter. | Wrong country | Handball |
| 2001 World Aquatics Championships, Fukuoka, Japan | 29 July 2001 | Spain | No anthem was played. | No music played | Waterpolo |
| State visit of President Milan Kučan to Bucharest, Romania | 11 July 2002 | Slovenia | The anthem of Slovakia was played upon Kučan's arrival at the airport. | Wrong country | Politics |
| 2003 Davis Cup, Melbourne, Australia | 28 November 2003 | Spain | Before the final between Australia and Spain the "Himno de Riego", the anthem used during the Second Spanish Republic, was played. The mistake provoked a reaction from Secretary of State for Sport Juan Antonio Gómez-Angulo, who was present and left the stadium in protest, and then instructed the Spanish team not to begin until an apology had been issued. | Outdated | Tennis |
| 2004 African Cup of Nations, Sfax, Tunisia | 25 January 2004 | Zimbabwe | Before a match between Egypt and Zimbabwe "Ishe Komborera Africa", the Zimbabwean national anthem until 1994, was played. | Football | |
| 2004 African Cup of Nations, Radès, Tunisia | 11 February 2004 | Nigeria | Before the semi-final match between Nigeria and Tunisia, the national anthem of Liberia was played. | Wrong country | Football |
| State visit of President Ricardo Lagos to Asunción, Paraguay | 14 May 2004 | Chile | During a reception for Lagos, a military band performed a verse of the national anthem of Chile that had been discarded due to its associations with the country's former military dictatorship. | Outdated | Politics |
| 2004 African Championships in Athletics, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo | 18 July 2004 | Zimbabwe | During the award ceremony "Ishe Komborera Africa", the Zimbabwean national anthem until 1994, was played. After several minutes' delay, gold medallist Lloyd Zvasiya took a microphone and sang the correct anthem himself. | Athletics | |
| 2006 FIFA World Cup, Frankfurt, Germany | 13 June 2006 | Togo | During a match between South Korea and Togo, the national anthem of South Korea was initially played a second time. | Wrong country | Football |
| Inauguration of the National Cricket Stadium, St. George's, Grenada | 4 February 2007 | China | During the inauguration ceremony of the stadium, which was funded by the People's Republic of China (PRC), the national anthem of Taiwan, officially called the Republic of China (ROC), was played before the PRC's ambassador Qian Hongshan. | Wrong country/outdated | Cricket |
| RTBF television interview with Minister-President of Flanders Yves Leterme, Brussels, Belgium | 21 July 2007 | Belgium | When asked by an interviewer if he could sing a part of the Belgian national anthem, the Minister-President of Flanders and future Prime Minister of Belgium Leterme began singing the French one instead. | Wrong country | Interview |
| 2007 Tour de France, Paris, France | 29 July 2007 | Spain | The national anthem of Denmark was initially played for winning Spaniard Alberto Contador at the podium ceremony. | Cycling | |
| 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships, Valencia, Spain | 9 March 2008 | China | The national anthem of Chile was played for gold medallist Liu Xiang during the award ceremony. | Track and field | |
| UEFA Euro 2008 | 17 April 2008 (first release) | Northern Ireland | The national anthem of Ireland was used as the national anthem for the Northern Irish team within this video game. Publishers EA Sports apologised for the error. | Football video game | |
| Friendly international football match, Prague, Czech Republic | 27 May 2008 | Lithuania | By mistake, the national anthem of Latvia was played instead. | Wrong country | Football |
| 2008 Valencia GP2 Series round, Valencia, Spain | 23 August 2008 | Russia | "Patrioticheskaya Pesnya", the former Russian national anthem used between 1991 and 2000, was played at the podium ceremony for winner Vitaly Petrov. | Outdated | Auto racing |
| 2008 AFL semi-final, Melbourne, Australia | 12 September 2008 | Australia | Before a Western Bulldogs–Sydney Swans game, AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" was briefly played instead of the Australian national anthem. | Non-anthem - Popular song | Australian rules football |
| 2009 Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, China | 19 April 2009 | Austria | The national anthem of the United Kingdom was played for the winning Austrian-licensed Red Bull team. | Wrong country | Auto racing |
| Presentation of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to civil rights activists from the former GDR | 16 November 2009 | Germany | East German writer and songwriter Stephan Krawczyk was asked to sing the German anthem at the end of a ceremony to award the Bundesverdienstkreuz to former GDR civil rights activists. Inititally he began singing the original first stanza of the German national anthem, which is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era. Bundespräsident Horst Köhler briefly joined him in singing "Deutschland, Deutschland..." before both were interrupted by other attendees. | Outdated | Awards ceremony |
| 2010 United States motorcycle Grand Prix, Monterey, California, USA | 25 July 2010 | Spain | The national anthem of Italy was initially played at the podium ceremony for winning Spaniard Jorge Lorenzo, before the anthem of Spain was played correctly. | Wrong country | Motorcycle racing |
| State visit of President Doris Leuthard to Oslo, Norway | 14 October 2010 | Switzerland | During the opening ceremony of Leuthard's visit, a band performed what was variously reported as "a piece composed in the early 1960s" and "a traditional folk-song." | Non-anthem - Folk song | Politics |
| 2011 Giro d'Italia, Milan, Italy | 29 May 2011 | Spain | A version of the Spanish national anthem with lyrics which are no longer included and generally associated with Francoist Spain was played for race winner Alberto Contador. | Outdated | Cycling |
| 2011 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, Szeged, Hungary | 19 August 2011 | Germany | The original first stanza of the German national anthem, which is not part of the official anthem and is usually avoided due to its associations with the Nazi era, was played during the award ceremony for gold medallists Anne Knorr and Debora Niche. | Outdated | Canoe sprint |
References
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- Sports Hankookhttps://sports.hankooki.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=6172568
- ESPN Digitalhttps://espndeportes.espn.com/futbol/nota/_/id/3262744/presentan-a-uruguay-con-himno-de-chile-en-mundial-sub-20
- Nine.com.auhttps://wwos.nine.com.au/news/belarus-triple-jumper-walks-off-over-wrong-anthem/d97c0f17-57af-431f-b9f9-6d1da3b4af1f
- The Sports Rushhttps://thesportsrush.com/f1-news-when-charles-leclerc-won-the-2017-formula-two-championship-and-the-wrong-national-anthem-was-played-for-his-podium-celebrations
- elconfidencial.comhttps://www.elconfidencial.com/deportes/otros-deportes/2017-12-04/lydia-valentin-campeona-mundo-halterofilia_1488163/
- Gazetahttps://www.gazeta.ru/sport/2018/03/29/a_11699930.shtml
- "Wrong Russian national anthem - Nikita Troitckii - Euro F3 Zandvoort Race 3"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDlmPqGzuQ
- Ashttps://as.com/masdeporte/2018/08/25/atletismo/1535197982_999448.html
- "Banned Nazi version of German national anthem played 2 days at Malaga medal ceremonies"https://masterstrack.blog/2018/09/banned-nazi-version-of-german-national-anthem-played-2-days-at-malaga-medal-ceremonies/
- "City of PSL apologizes after playing Nazi version of German anthem at Oktoberfest"https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/st-lucie-county/2018/10/06/port-st-lucie-oktoberfest-plays-nazi-version-german-national-anthem/1551573002
- "Gibraltar enjoy historic first win after anthem blunder"https://www.eurosport.com/football/gibraltar-enjoy-historic-first-win-after-anthem-blunder_sto6970863/story.shtml
- The Investorhttp://m.theinvestor.co.kr/view.php?ud=20181023000542
- YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-cqL9JwDXU
- YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqaRoshKGmU
- "El himno de España con la letra franquista suena durante un festejo multitudinario en la jornada de reflexión en Murcia"https://www.eldiario.es/murcia/politica/espana-franqusita-jornada-reflexion-murcia_1_1577787.html
- City AMhttps://www.cityam.com/italian-choir-mistakenly-sings-franco-era-national-anthem
- Openhttps://www.open.online/2019/05/16/totti-elettore-di-forza-italia-no-e-una-gaffe-del-torneo-di-calcio-a-5-in-kuwait/
- BBC Sporthttps://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/49335179
- rfihttps://www.rfi.fr/en/20190909-france-apologises-albania-playing-wrong-anthem-football-match-andorra-uefa-euro-cup-2020
- Nine.com.auhttps://www.nine.com.au/sport/rugby/pumas-thump-sydney-club-side-before-rwc-20190907-p5i71n.html
- "Misamis Oriental LGU in hot water over Bisaya singing of Lupang Hinirang"https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/712105/misamis-oriental-lgu-in-hot-water-over-bisaya-singing-of-lupang-hinirang/story/
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/03/we-are-sincerely-sorry-wrong-anthem-played-for-moldova-at-atp-cup
- Globo Esportehttps://ge.globo.com/rs/futebol/copa-do-brasil/noticia/esse-e-o-arrocha-funk-equipe-de-som-comete-gafe-apos-hino-em-novo-hamburgo-x-ponte.ghtml
- elespanol.comhttps://www.elespanol.com/deportes/motor/20201217/carlos-sainz-baja-hail-ponen-himno-franquista/544196541_0.html
- Sayshttps://says.com/my/sports/negaraku-was-mistakenly-played-for-the-indonesia-team-during-fifa-world-cup-qualifiers
- "RE-LIVE | DTM Race 2 - Monza | DTM 2021"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epoC254b63M&t=4710s
- "Broadcaster apologizes for Nazi subtitle reference during Euro's Germany anthem | NL Times"https://nltimes.nl/2021/06/30/broadcaster-apologizes-nazi-subtitle-reference-euros-germany-anthem
- "Tokyo 2020 apologises after using wrong anthem for RPC at Paralympics"https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1112186/tokyo-2020-apologises-wrong-rpc-anthem
- https://sport.tvp.pl/55924300/me-siatkarzy-wstydliwa-pomylka-organizatorow-slowencom-odegrano-hymn-serbiihttps://sport.tvp.pl/55924300/me-siatkarzy-wstydliwa-pomylka-organizatorow-slowencom-odegrano-hymn-serbii
- MARCAhttps://www.marca.com/boxeo/2021/10/23/61743a1e268e3ee8598b456d.html
- Yleisradiohttps://svenska.yle.fi/a/7-10010708
- "AFCON out of tune: Wrong Mauritanian anthem played… three times"https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2022/01/13/afcon-tune-wrong-mauritanian-anthem-played-three-times
- Get French Football Newshttps://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2022/the-fff-apologises-for-playing-the-albanian-national-anthem-for-the-finnish-womens-team
- Gazeta Wrocławskahttps://gazetawroclawska.pl/hymn-nazistowskich-niemiec-rozbrzmial-we-wroclawiu-skandal-na-gali-boksu/ar/c2-16059045
- "Boxen: Voraberger geht nach Hymnen-Fauxpas k. O."https://sport.orf.at/stories/3095420
- YouTubehttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=40h-h7667z8&t=195s
- El Mundohttps://www.elmundo.es/f5/comparte/2022/05/31/6295e041fc6c83e61c8b45ae.html
- CNNhttps://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/14/sport/rugby-hong-kong-protests-china-anthem-south-korea-intl-hnk-spt/index.html
- "Rahul Gandhi trolled as Nepal's national anthem plays at Bharat Jodo Yatra instead of India's; BJP slams Congress leader over goof-up : The Tribune India"https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/trending/rahul-gandhi-invites-trolls-as-nepals-national-anthem-plays-during-bharat-jodo-yatra-when-he-asks-for-rashtriya-geet-bjp-slams-congress-leader-over-goof-up-451849
- RTHK Newshttps://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1678280-20221203.htm
- Hong Kong Free Presshttps://hongkongfp.com/2023/03/01/protest-song-glory-to-hong-kong-played-again-at-sporting-event-instead-of-chinese-anthem
- YouTubehttps://youtube.com/watch?v=aroJ5leVdCY?t=500
- Trend News Agencyhttps://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/society/3826565.html
- South China Morning Posthttps://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3256555/hong-kong-officials-apologise-fresh-national-anthem-blunder-launch-internal-review-after-triathlon
- eldiario.eshttps://www.eldiario.es/aragon/himno-espana-usado-durante-franquismo-suena-error-competicion-hockey-jaca-huesca_1_11452500.html
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cevwrj789l7o
- "Terrible error con el himno de Panamá en el amistoso contra Estados Unidos"https://www.deportestvc.com/futbol-internacional/terrible-error-himno-panama-amistoso-vs-estados-unidos-2024-10-12
- "Gaf na rukometu u Varaždinu. Igrači čekali belgijsku himnu, no potom se začuo zvuk Windowsa"https://www.telegram.hr/telesport/na-prvu/gaf-na-rukometu-u-varazdinu-igraci-cekali-belgijsku-himnu-no-potom-se-zacuo-zvuk-windowsa/
- YouTubehttps://youtube.com/watch?v=rxSnxmEtFeM&t=675s
- NDTVSports.comhttps://sports.ndtv.com/icc-champions-trophy-2025/indian-national-anthem-played-in-lahore-ahead-of-australia-vs-england-ct-2025-games-pcb-gets-ridiculed-7768872
- MARCAhttps://www.marca.com/otros-deportes/2025/04/01/himno-franquista-reaparece-nuevo-suena-podio-mundial-master-atletismo.html
- DIE WELThttps://www.welt.de/vermischtes/article688de1d1a4488f28874e617a/verstoerend-und-peinlich-eklat-bei-feuerwehr-meisterschaft-erste-strophe-des-deutschlandliedes-abgespielt.html
- ZDF heutehttps://www.zdfheute.de/sport/darja-varfolomeev-rhythmische-sportgymnastik-wm-hymne-100.html
- Sport 1https://www.sport1.de/news/mehr-sport/2025/08/absurde-panne-falsche-nationalhymne-nach-deutschem-wm-gold
- The Economic Timeshttps://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/watch-jalebi-baby-song-played-instead-of-pakistans-national-anthem-during-ind-pak-match/articleshow/123891183.cms?from=mdr
- SinEmbargohttps://www.sinembargo.mx/4718466/video-ponen-cancion-de-marc-anthony-en-lugar-del-himno-en-informe-del-tepjf-en-scjn/