List of wrong anthem incidents
Updated: 5/20/2026, 8:03:54 PM 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anthem was accidentally played, sung or performed, including playing the anthem of the wrong country, playing an outdated anthem, and playing a non-anthem piece in place of a national anthem.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" (transl. 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
1949 San Remo Grand Prix, San Remo, Italy
1949 San Remo Grand Prix, San Remo, Italy
Event and host
1949 San Remo Grand Prix, San Remo, Italy
Date
3 April 1949
Country affected
Argentina
Incident
Juan Manuel Fangio won his first ever international race in Ospedaletti, but the Italian host did not have a recording of the Argentinian National Anthem. Instead, it was replaced with “La Cumparsita”, a popular tango song.
Type
Non-anthem - popular song
Occasion
Auto racing
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".
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
1964 Summer Olympics, Tokyo, Japan
1964 Summer Olympics, Tokyo, Japan
Event and host
1964 Summer Olympics, Tokyo, Japan
Date
21 October 1964
Country affected
Ethiopia
Incident
The Japanese house band played their own national anthem for men's marathon gold medalist Abebe Bikila due to not knowing the Ethiopian anthem in use at the time.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Athletics
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" (some sources report that "South of the Border" was played) for winning driver Pedro Rodríguez during the podium ceremony. To avoid such mistakes, Rodríguez brought with him a record of the national anthem of Mexico.
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 took responsibility for the mistake, specifying that "i
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 (misconception)
Occasion
Auto racing
State visit of President Nicolae Ceaușescu to Washington, D ., USA
State visit of President Nicolae Ceaușescu to Washington, D ., USA
Event and host
State visit of President Nicolae Ceaușescu to Washington, D ., 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.
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 th
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.
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.
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
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
No anthem was played.
Incident
No music played
Type
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 i
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
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
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 the Republic 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
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
2009 Tour de France, Paris, France
2009 Tour de France, Paris, France
Event and host
2009 Tour de France, Paris, France
Date
26 July 2009
Country affected
Spain
Incident
The national anthem of Denmark was initially played for winning Spaniard Alberto Contador at the podium ceremony.
Type
Wrong country
Occasion
Cycling
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 associ
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
Canoe sprint
2011 AFL semi-final, Perth, Australia
2011 AFL semi-final, Perth, Australia
Event and host
2011 AFL semi-final, Perth, Australia
Date
17 September 2011
Country affected
Australia
Incident
Before a West Coast Eagles–Carlton game, Carlton's club song, We Are the Navy Blues, was briefly played instead of the Australian national anthem.
Type
Non-anthem – other
Occasion
Australian rules football
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
"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.
Incident
Non-anthem – other
Type
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
Friendly match
Friendly match
Event and host
Friendly match
Date
17 October 2012
Country affected
Ecuador
Incident
Before a match between Ecuador and Venezuela, the national anthem of Mexico was played
Type
Football
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
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
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
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
Before a match between Russia and the Czech Republic "Patrioticheskaya Pesnya", the former Russian national anthem used between 1991 and 2000, was played.
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
After Ander Mirambell won the stage in Calgary, the anthem did not sound and he had to play it on his phone.
Incident
No music initially played
Type
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
Tennis
| 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" (transl. 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 |
| 1949 San Remo Grand Prix, San Remo, Italy | 3 April 1949 | Argentina | Juan Manuel Fangio won his first ever international race in Ospedaletti, but the Italian host did not have a recording of the Argentinian National Anthem. Instead, it was replaced with “La Cumparsita”, a popular tango song. | Non-anthem - popular song | Auto racing |
| 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". | 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 |
| 1964 Summer Olympics, Tokyo, Japan | 21 October 1964 | Ethiopia | The Japanese house band played their own national anthem for men's marathon gold medalist Abebe Bikila due to not knowing the Ethiopian anthem in use at the time. | Wrong country | Athletics |
| 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" (some sources report that "South of the Border" was played) for winning driver Pedro Rodríguez during the podium ceremony. To avoid such mistakes, Rodríguez brought with him a record of the national anthem of Mexico. | 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 took responsibility for the mistake, specifying that "i | 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 (misconception) | Auto racing |
| State visit of President Nicolae Ceaușescu to Washington, D ., 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. | 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 th | 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. | 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. | 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 | 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 | 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 i | 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 | |
| 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 |
| 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 the Republic 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. | 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 |
| 2009 Tour de France, Paris, France | 26 July 2009 | Spain | The national anthem of Denmark was initially played for winning Spaniard Alberto Contador at the podium ceremony. | Wrong country | Cycling |
| 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 associ | 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 |