Any Premier League club knows you can't rush greatness.
That's why Coca-Cola enlisted British rap star Central Cee to perform their Premier League anthem, "The Team." The dynamic electronic song is produced by P-rallel and was released on Tuesday, Aug. 18. It embodies the passion that supporters express throughout the season, which kicks off on Friday, Aug. 21.
"The Team" is accompanied by a cinematic music video that combines clips of enthusiastic fans, highlights from the pitch and performance shots of Central Cee. He's wearing a red beanie, bandana and track jacket to represent Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, the official soft drink of the Premier League. The first clip is at night with the lights going on at Stamford Bridge, home of Cench's favorite
club, Chelsea, and an intro with the British rapper declaring his "unconditional love for my team." He cleverly weaves football references into his lyrics, including "First 3M, call that a hat trick." Whether he's referring to the money he's made or the streams he's racked up, either one is elite.
There is an immaculate transition in the song and the visuals to transport the audience to a cold winter day. A fan holds up a Liverpool scarf in the snow at Anfield and Central Cee dons a white jacket with the hood up and an icy chain while rapping, "It gets gruesome/It gets dark/Came from the bottom, never had no future."
The emotional roller coaster reaches its climax with the anticipation of a penalty kick and the return to the red aesthetic. Everything ends in joyful celebration.
The 2026-27 Premier League season comes on the heels of this summer's World Cup. On opening weekend, the league is hoping to capitalize on the new football fandom in the United States with their Coast to Coast activation featuring watch parties across the country. The EPL led all leagues with 182 players participating in the World Cup, including Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Manchester City's Erling Haaland. The Norway striker captured hearts across the globe with his friendly antics.
Central Cee has bridged the United Kingdom and United States markets in a way that the Premier League is hopeful to make an impact across the pond. He's had multiple songs on the Billboard Hot 100, collaborated with 21 Savage, Lil Durk and Lil Baby, and sampled Eve's "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" on his hit song "Doja."
When commenting on "The Team," Central Cee laughed about his lack of ability on the pitch, saying he's no Saka or Haaland.
“I got love for football but slyly, it don't love me back," he said in a statement. "You've seen me kick a ball, I ain't making the starting 11. Regardless, it’s an honor doing this tune for Coca-Cola."
He commented on the similarity between doing a rap performance and playing a football match as further evidence of why this infectious collaboration made sense. Last year, Cench toured Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to promote his debut album, "Can't Rush Greatness."
"That energy is what 'The Team' is about," he said. "Football’s a religion for some people and this song captures that. ... You ain't heard me on something like this before, but it's the right energy for the record."
Other significant football moments in Central Cee's career include when he filmed the video for his 2022 song “Straight Back To It” at Stamford Bridge. He went full force with Chelsea for the release of "Can't Rush Greatness." The week leading up to the album's release, he attended a match in a custom goalkeeper kitand took some time for a photo with Cole Palmer. When he shared the album tracklist on X, the club reposted it, saying “The Blues will be locked in!”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Listen to Central Cee's 'The Team' Premier League anthem from Coca-Cola
