How would you give a well-known tune heard by millions around the world a distinctive Dallas sound?

How about incorporating a bit of country rhythm with dobro chords and entrusting the mission to a thriving local producer who has won four Grammys?

Meet Tre Nagella, the creator of the FIFA 2026 Official World Cup Sonic ID for the Dallas venue.

A Sonic ID is a combination of sound and music that brands and corporations use to establish instant recognition among the public.

Essentially, a Sonic ID is an auditory logo.

FIFA, the international soccer governing body, uses the Sonic ID to open and close each World Cup match broadcast. Television networks also use it before and after commercial breaks.

The Dallas Sonic ID will be unveiled during the first quarter of Sunday’s Mavericks game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

“My goal was to take that theme and somehow incorporate other musical elements to better represent the city of Dallas,” Nagella said while playing the theme in his Addison production studios.

The 1:57-long Sonic ID has enough elements to distinguish itself from the other 15 Sonic IDs each World Cup host city prepared.

FIFA imposed certain constraints, such as not changing the tempo of the track because they had timed things out for broadcast and promos.

This is the first time FIFA will have city-specific Sonic IDs so that each city can put its stamp on the World Cup.

Nagella incorporated a country-style sound, but to avoid any confusion or comparison with Nashville, and to have a sound representative of Texas, the producer used acoustic guitars, pedal steel, and the dobro, a guitar-like instrument more native to the South.

“I didn’t want it to be too cliche and just be all country. Dallas has a big urban scene. We have a lot of hip-hop. We have a lot of gospel music. So I wanted to incorporate some urban elements as well,” Nagella said.

The World Cup, to be played in the summer of 2026, will be the first in history with 48 national teams competing in 104 matches.

Nagella took care of every detail in his production, recreating the most important and dramatic elements surrounding a soccer match.

Nagella’s creative production includes the clamor of fans in a stadium chanting a goal, the ticking clock signaling the passage of time, and the effects of the players’ panting breaths.

“There are a lot of elements to this that most people probably wouldn’t pick up right away. I literally use sound effects that aren’t musical at all and just put a big stadium full of people here,” said Nagella, 45.

Nagella, born and raised in Dallas, had a passion for music since he was 12 when he started playing guitar in school.

His love for music led him to study at Full Sail University — Music Production College in Orlando.

Producing gospel music for Kirk Franklin opened the door to a career that has led him to work alongside other major stars, such as Ed Sheeran, Travis Scott, Aaron Lazar, Blake Shelton, Lady Gaga and many others.

Nagella and Paul Loomis co-own Luminous Sound Studios, a 6,500-square-foot facility with three state-of-the-art studios and a two-story tracking room.

“Besides technology, you need talent to produce music,” said Nagella, who describes himself as a mix of musician, producer, mixer, and sound engineer.

“Even with all the advanced technology, the song’s melody and heart and soul still have to come from a human. You still have to be creative, and the computer can’t make it for you. There’s a reason why we still listen to songs that are old,” Nagella said.

Nagella said his most exciting moments as a music producer have come when he feels like he’s created something magical in a studio.

The FIFA 2026 Official World Cup theme is one of those moments.

“I put a lot of thought into best representing our city,” Nagella said.

“When people around the world hear the theme, the first thing they’ll think of is Dallas, that’s exciting.”

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