Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai has been recruited by Coca-Cola to record a new solo for a reimagined version of the Van Halen classic “Jump“. The updated track will serve as an official anthem for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a 48-team soccer tournament hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer.
Continuing Coca-Cola‘s long-standing tradition of reworking classic tracks for the international sporting event—a partnership that dates back to 1978—the new rendition of “Jump” features a diverse collaborative lineup. Alongside Steve Vai, the track includes contributions from Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, Colombian vocalist J Balvin, and American singer-songwriter Amber Mark.
The updated recording prominently features Steve Vai‘s signature guitar work, incorporating whammy bar techniques, intricate harmonies, and tapping sequences that pay direct homage to the song’s original co-writer, Eddie Van Halen.
Addressing his involvement in the high-profile project, Steve Vai stated:
“I never know what might come across my desk as an inquiry, but this was a taker. I received a reach out from the musical production team at Coca-Cola working on their anthem for the FIFA World Cup 26, with a request to play a solo on this year’s song, which turned out to be a pretty wild reworking of ‘Jump‘! Some of the tracks featured musicians are J Balvin (vocals), Amber Mark (vocals) and Travis Barker (drums). Part of the campaign was to create an animation of us as superheroes. Geez, can you imagine if I actually looked like my super hero component? I could have been a Pop star! But it was good fun and the entire team involved were the kinds of folks I enjoy working with.”
Originally released by Van Halen in December 1983, “Jump” stands as a significant commercial milestone, marking the band’s first and only single to reach the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It subsequently earned a nomination at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards, ultimately losing the Best Rock Performance category to Prince‘s “Purple Rain“.
Since its release, the track has inspired numerous interpretations across various genres, ranging from a percussive acoustic cover by Mike Dawes to an all-star live performance featuring Billy Idol, Steve Stevens, and Derek Sherinian.
In related news regarding the band’s legacy, drummer Alex Van Halen recently disclosed that a new Van Halen project was virtually completed prior to the passing of Eddie Van Halen. The unreleased material, which features guitar work from Steve Lukather, is reportedly seeking a lead vocalist after an offer was turned down by Paul Rodgers.
