Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (No.7) and teammate Eric Reid kneel during the US national anthem before their game against the Carolina Panthers on September 18, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo: VCG

At its best, sport can promote international harmony, but that was not the case at the Stade de France where the hosts played the Andorran anthem for the Albanian team.

The visitors refused to kick off their Euro 2020 qualifier on Saturday. When their demand was met, they beamed, sang, celebrated and started the match, which they lost 4-1.

Anthems, and other national symbols such as flags, are an inescapable part of international sports.

Yet with surprising frequency, teams solemnly lined up for anthems register surprise when they find "they aren't playing our tune."

Sometimes the errors are understandable. Slovenia's anthem played after a Slovakian victory at the ice hockey world championships. 

The often-changed Russian anthem has caused frequent problems. Russia adopted Mikhail Glinka's "Patriotic Song" in 1991. Nine years later, after the election of Vladimir Putin, Russia reverted to a modified version of the old Soviet anthem, retitled "State Anthem of the Russian Federation." 

AFP