Who are the Village People? Explaining the World Cup draw performers loved by Donald Trump

The 2026 World Cup is months out. But the intrigue is already here, swept across the United States, Mexico and Canada as the famous tournament readies for its first trek to North America since 1994.

FIFA is embracing the spotlight ahead of Friday’s World Cup draw. FIFA president Gianni Infantino already hinted that he would award a peace prize to “close friend” Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the site of the festivities, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, is under scrutiny from Senate Democrats — some of whom launched a probe into allegations of cronyism and corruption within on of the nation’s foremost art institutes.

Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum will be hosting the event. There’s even a live band for the showcase, one whose refrain has become all-too-familiar at sporting events over the years.

With that, here’s what you need to know about the Village People, the musical act enlisted to perform during Friday’s World Cup draw.

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Who are the Village People?

The Village People are an American disco group that found success throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The group’s name pays homage to Greenwich Village, the Manhattan neighborhood that served as a hub of gay life in the 1970s.

The group was the brainchild of French composers Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo. The duo washed ashore in New York City after releasing a string of successful songs in Europe. The two were introduced to Victor Willis, a Dallas-born vocalist whose booming voice caught Morali’s ear.

The group was born. It needed additional members to round out its ranks, though. Morali and Willis enlisted a motley crew of dancers to bring the collective to life. There was Alex Briley, a lanky fellow outfitted in military fatigues. Morali sought Felipe Rose, a hoofer of Native American descent who worked at a BDSM club in Chelsea. Mark Mussler, Dave Forrest and Lee Mouton rounded out the original composition of the group, masquerading as a construction worker, cowboy and leatherman, respectively.

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Village People were shaped by the environment that surrounded them — namely the gay community that breathed life into Greenwich Village’s thoroughfares. Multiple members of the original group were gay. They donned colorful outfits that were commonplace at the time. But they did so while expressing a passionate desire for queer liberation.

Here’s what the BBC’s Jack King had to say about the group in a 2020 retrospective:

I was fascinated by the empowerment I felt from Village People, the title track on their eponymous debut album, and an unambiguous call for gay liberation that sounds more akin to a protest chant than a chart topper. It lit a fire in my gut in a way few queer artworks have before. And all this from the Village People?

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How old are the Village People?

Most of the original Village People are out of the group. Some passed away, while others have moved onto different ventures. Only Willis remains, lending his smooth voice with a new cast of characters. He is 74 years old.

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Village People songs, lyrics

“Y.M.C.A.”

With more than 12 million copies sold worldwide, “Y.M.C.A.” is the Village People’s biggest hit. The song was the only single from the group’s third album, “Cruisin.'” It features a famous chorus paying tribute to the YMCA, which offered single rooms to tenants fleeing precarious living situations. The YMCA was also considered a safe space for younger gay men to hookup — a reputation that Willis and Co. appear to embrace on the tune.

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Suffice to say, the song is remembered fondly. It swirls in stadiums across the world, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Here are its lyrics:

Young man, there’s no need to feel down.
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.
I said, young man, ’cause you’re in a new town
There’s no need to be unhappy.

Young man, there’s a place you can go.
I said, young man, when you’re short on your dough.
You can stay there, and I’m sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.

It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

They have everything for young men to enjoy,
You can hang out with all the boys…

It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal,
You can do whatever you feel…

Young man, are you listening to me?
I said, young man, what do you wanna be?
I said, young man, you can make real your dreams.
But you got to know this one thing!

No man does it all by himself.
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf,
And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A.
I’m sure they can help you today.

It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

They have everything for young men to enjoy,
You can hang out with all the boys…

It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal,
You can do whatever you feel…

Young man, I was once in your shoes.
I said, I was down and out with the blues.
I felt no man cared if I were alive.
I felt the whole world was so jive…

That’s when someone came up to me,
And said, “Young man, take a walk up the street.
There’s a place there called the ‘Y.M.C.A.’
They can start you back on your way.”

It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

They have everything for young men to enjoy,
You can hang out with all the boys…

Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

Young man, young man, there’s no need to feel down.
Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground.

Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

Young man, are you listening to me?
Young man, young man, what do you wanna be?

Y.M.C.A.
You’ll find it at the Y.M.C.A.

No man, young man, does it all by himself.
Young man, young man, put your pride on the shelf,

Y.M.C.A.
And just go to the Y.M.C.A.

Young man, young man, I was once in your shoes.
Young man, young man, I was down with the blues.

Y.M.C.A.
It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.

“Macho Man”

While not quite the phenomenon “Y.M.C.A” was, “Macho Man” was actually the Village People’s first track to land on the Billboard Top 100, peaking at No. 25 in September 1978.

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The song references the exaggerated machismo the group attempted to poke fun at. It’s sexy yet comedic, a testament to Village People’s praxis.

Body, wanna feel my body,
body, baby, such a thrill, my body
Body, wanna touch my body,
body, baby, it’s too much, my body
Body, check it out, my body, body,
baby, don’t you doubt, my body
Body, talking about my body, body,
baby, checking out my body

Listen here

Every man wants to be a macho man
To have the kind of body always in demand
Joggin’ in the mornings, go man go
Workouts in the health spa, muscles grow
You can best believe me
He’s a macho man
Glad he took you down with anyone you can
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

Macho, macho man
I gotta be a macho man
Macho macho man
I gotta be a macho

Macho, macho man
I gotta be a macho man
Macho macho man
I gotta be a macho

Body, its so hot, my body,
Body, love to pop my body,
Body, love to please my body,
Body, don’t you tease my body,
Body, you’ll adore my body,
Body, come explore my body,
Body, made by God, my body,
Body, it’s so good, my body

You can tell a macho, he has a funky walk
his western shirts and leather, always look so boss
Funky with his body, he’s a king
call him Mister Ego, dig his chains
You can best believe that, he’s a macho man
likes to be the leader, he never dresses grand

Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey!
Macho, macho man
I’ve got to be, a macho man
Macho, macho man
I’ve got to be a macho! (all right)

Macho, macho man (yeah, yeah)
I’ve got to be, a macho man
Macho, macho man
I’ve got to be a macho! All Right!

Body, my body, body, wanna feel my body
Body, baby, body, body, come and thrill my body
Body, baby, body, body, love to funk, my body
Body, baby, body, body, it’s so hot, my body

So hot, yeah my body
Allright

Every man ought to be a macho, macho man
To live a life of freedom, machos make a stand
Have your own lifestyles and ideals
Possess the strength of confidence, that’s the skill
You can best believe that he’s a macho man
He’s the special god son in anybody’s land
hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

Macho, macho man
I gotta be a macho man
Macho macho man
I gotta be a macho

Macho, macho man
I gotta be a macho man
Macho macho man
I gotta be a macho

Macho, macho man
I gotta be a macho man
Macho macho man
I gotta be a macho

I gotta be a macho man
I gotta be a mucho mucho, macho macho man
I gotta be a macho

When did YMCA song come out?

“Y.M.C.A.” was recorded and released in 1978. Its music video — which featured Willis and Co. dancing while extolling the virtues of the YMCA — was filmed in New York City in July 1978. The song hit the charts shortly after its release, aided by the Sept. 1978 release of Village People’s third album, “Cruisin.'”

By 1979, the song sat at No. 2 on the Billboard charts, bested only by Chic’s “Le Freak” and Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy.” In the United Kingdom, the tune did one better, taking the top spot on the singles chart.

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Donald Trump YMCA dance

While “Y.M.C.A.” lends much of its popularity to the gay enclaves that specked Greenwich Village in the 1970s, it has been cosigned by a surprising figure in recent years. President Donald Trump has made the song a fixture in his public appearances.

When the song comes on, Trump enters a trance, moving his body in a gesture that vaguely resembles a dance. The choreography sees him flail his arms while trying to shake his hips.

The move has been invoked by a number of onlookers, including UFC fighter Jon Jones, Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and more. There’s a non-zero chance Trump, who is expected to attend Friday’s World Cup draw, will attempt the trademark waltz in front of FIFA representatives.