World Cup 2014 is fast approaching, and Latinos and soccer aficionados around the world are gearing up to see their favorite soccer teams battle it out on the field, willing to give their blood, sweat and tears for their countries, in the midst of a Brazilian backdrop filled with screaming fans.

I can already hear the loud cheers and the sound of "GOOOAL!!!" which always conjure memories of my Colombian father's love of the game -- not to mention that he's an incredible soccer player, a passionate fan and coach for almost 30 years.

In addition to soccer, music is also a huge part of the core of our cultures. You can't have a World Cup without powerful anthems and a soundtrack that makes you want to rise to your feet. And if you're Latino, you know you can't resist the rhythm!

So what makes for a powerful anthem that resonates with fans?

When I think of an anthem for sporting events, I often think of the Rocky theme song or Queen's "We Will Rock You." Having Massachusetts roots, I have a soft spot for the adopted Red Sox anthem, "Sweet Caroline," that always lifts the spirits of the fans at Fenway Park -- even though the song itself has nothing to do with baseball (Neil Diamond was inspired to write the song when he saw a picture of John F. Kennedy's 9-year-old daughter, Caroline Kennedy). Bottom line, it's all about the energy and the feeling that comes from within, that spectacular moment when an entire stadium is unified and singing in unison. Regardless of the sport, we all have music that moves us and unites us all.

During past World Cups, we've witnessed the impact that a good song can have when backed by the powerful platform. One of the most notable World Cup anthems has included Colombian star and The Voice judge Shakira's "Waka Waka" and the South African ensemble Freshlyground, which has sold over 1.7 million downloads since its release in 2010, according to Billboard. In January of 2014, it held the No. 2 position on the magazine's Latin Dance Chart, where it spent 42 weeks in the top spot.

One of my favorites, and one of the most memorable World Cup anthems, was Ricky Martin's "The Cup of Life" (La Copa de la Vida). The song was so powerful that it catapulted the Puerto Rican singer's career into super-stardom with his performance at the official 1998 World Cup.

This year, Martin revisits his World Cup roots with the release of "Vida" (Spanglish Version) and Shakira releases "La La La" (Brazil 2014) featuring Carlinhos Brown for the official soundtrack, "One Love, One Rhythm" the World Cup album, released on FIFA partner Sony Music Entertainment's RCA Records.

It would be an understatement to say that the official World Cup soundtrack doesn't have major Latin star power and marketing pull where advertisers have strategically casts their nets out as far as possible -- and they are sure to catch a lot of fish!

So what do these Latin artists have on tap for the World Cup Brazil 2014 in São Paulo?

Besides, their cultural pride from their respective countries, good vibes, talent and the love of the game, they come with major backing from Coca-Cola, FIFA (The Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and its partner, Sony Music Entertainment's RCA Records. After all, the artists like Puerto Rican singer/actress Jennifer Lopez for example, have evolved into major brands themselves.

Cuban-American rapper Pitbull, also known as "Mr. Worldwide," collaborated with Lopez, a.k.a. "Jenny from the Block," and Brazilian pop star Claudia Leitte, to create "We Are One" (Ole Ola) the Official 2014 FIFA World Cup song. 

"Put your flags up in the sky and show where you are from, show the world we are one," says Pitbull in the chorus for "We Are One" (Ole Ola).

The talented trio will perform "We Are One" (Ole Ola) at the soccer tournament's open ceremonies on June 12 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. ("Ole Ola, was released on April 8, in advance of the official FIFA 2014 World Cup Brazil album, which will be released May 12.)

Not everyone is in favor of making the song an official World Cup song, however. Remezcla says it "plays it safe" and points out that with Pitbull and Lopez taking the lead, there is little room for Brazilian pop singer Claudia Leitte to truly shine. Instead, the Latin-based website created its own version of an Official 2014 FIFA World Cup Album by offering up its very own Spotify playlist.

"One Love, One Rhythm" the World Cup album also includes the official anthem, "Dar um Jeito (We Will Find A Way)" by Kennedy Center honoree Carlos Santana, Wyclef Jean, Avicii and Alexandre Pires, who will perform at the World Cup closing ceremonies in Rio on July 13.

"We are very excited about the release of One Love, One Rhythm: The Official FIFA World Cup TM Album," said Thierry Weil, FIFA Marketing Director in an official press release.

"The partnership with Sony Music Entertainment has allowed us to add some of the world's biggest musical superstars to the FIFA World Cup line-up. I'm sure that music and football fans all over the world will enjoy this great combination of top international stars and fantastic Brazilian artists and that this album will add great rhythm to the footballing action in Brazil."

What are the tracks on "One Love, One Rhythm: The Official 2014 FIFA World Cup Album?"

According to Billboard the tracks include:

1. Pitbull feat. Jennifer Lopez & Claudia Leitte - We Are One (Ole Ola) (The Official 2014 FIFA World Cup TM Song)

2. Santana & Wyclef feat. Avicii & Alexandre Pires - Dar Um Jeito (We Will Find A Way) (The Official 2014 FIFA World Cup TM Anthem)

3. Arlindo Cruz - Tatu Bom De Bola (The Official 2014 FIFA World Cup TM Mascot Song)

4. Ricky Martin - Vida (Spanglish Version)

5. David Correy - The World Is Ours

6. Psirico - Lepo Lepo

7. Sérgio Mendes & Carlinhos Brown - One Nation

8. Shakira - La La La (Brazil 2014) feat. Carlinhos Brown

9. The Isley Brothers - It's Your Thing (Studio Rio Version)

10. Bebel Gilberto and Lang Lang - Tico Tico

11. Adelén - Olé (Stadium Anthem Mix)

12. Magic! - This Is Our Time (Agora e'a nossa horra)

13. Baha Men - Night & Day (Carnival Mix)

14. Rodrigo Alexey feat. Preta Gil - Go, Gol

Besides big stars such as Pitbull and Lopez, Grammy and multi-Latin Grammy winner singer/songwriter/composer, Carlos Vives has also released an official anthem for the World Cup with Coca-Cola.

Vives teamed up with Brazilian stars Gaby Amarantos and David Correy to record the "official Coca-Cola 2014 Brazil World Cup anthem." Vives posted two versions of the song "La Copa De Todos" ("Our Cup") to YouTube on April 7. The two versions feature the Brazilian percussionist troupe Monobloco and will be the official Spanish-Portuguese songs for the soda giant, which will be one of the international event's sponsors, according to the Huffington Post.

On April 3, the Colombian star was honored with the Latinovator Award at Hispanicize, which "recognizes Latino celebrities, business professionals and other high achievers who have become crossover successes or whose stories of achievements are remarkable or inspirational."

"The objective of the Coca-Cola anthem is to highlight the power the World Cup has to unite people and nations around a sport and happiness, and strive to make the tournament the most inclusive and participatory World Cup in history," reads the description of the videos on Vives' YouTube channel, the Huffington Post adds.

Billboard also points out that former X-Factor contestant David Correy released Coca-Cola's English-language version in September from the Corcovado Mountain above Rio de Janeiro.

While the anthem "The World Is Ours" has a similar beat as Vives's version, the Colombian singer added his signature to it.

"Soccer is not only felt by those who play it but everyone who through it discovers joy, and that's what soccer is: joy," Vives said in a press conference, according to La Opinión, the Huffington Post reports. "This song connects the entire continent with that feeling and I give it a Colombian touch so that our culture will be known with the sound of the accordion."

According to FIFA, "over 3.2 billion people reportedly watched at least a minute the 2010 event," Rolling Stone adds. "The organization said that figure -- which is just short of half the world's population -- had increased by eight percent from the 2006 World Cup."

The World Cup runs from June 12 to July 13.