- Adidas has dropped a new film for the FIFA World Cup 2026 called “Backyard Legends.”
- Starring Timothée Chalamet, Lionel Messi, Bad Bunny, Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham and Trinity Rodman, the film is set in the streets with a 90s vibe and centers on the idea that legends are born in backyards and neighborhood games.
- This new campaign is centered on the brand’s core message, “You Got This.”
To say that Adidas is a sponsor of the World Cup, is an understatement. Adidas has been making football boots for players in the tournament since 1954, when founder Adi Dassler designed lightweight boots with screw-in studs that helped the West German team celebrate victory on a wet pitch. The brand has been the official ball supplier for the World Cup since 1970, when they invented the iconic black and white design of the ball. The so-called Telstar model was developed so that it would show up better on TV.
“Football sits in the DNA of Adidas, so by default the World Cup, which is the biggest sporting event in the world, is and has always been very close to our brand from the days of our founder who literally sat with football teams on the sideline to try and see and understand where he can improve and where the product can do better,” said Florian Alt, vice president global brand communications at Adidas.
From the jerseys and cleats to the balls on the ground, Adidas will be embedded in the games this year. The sportswear brand sponsors 14 national teams that qualified for this year’s World Cup and will have plenty of jersey options for fans, including pet jerseys for the first-time ever.
This new campaign is centered on the brand’s core message, “You Got This.” In the spot, Chalamet assembles a team of legends – Lamine, Jude, Trinity – to take on an undefeated group of backyard kids – Clive, Ruthie and Isaak.
“It’s a perfect representation of what we believe as a brand is the right thing to do,” said Alt. “We always keep saying stories like these start in a backyard and that’s what we literally took as the starting point…it’s a perfect representation of what we believe, as a brand, is the right thing. If you enjoy what you do and if you play free, anything can be achieved.”
Alt said that the brand is part of the culture with roots in sports, music and film, which also ties together the campaign and drove the partnerships with Chalamet and Bad Bunny, as well as the athletes.
“I used to dream of playing with these guys – you know, I was playing at Pier 40 as a kid, thinking about Beckham’s free kicks, Del Piero’s goals, and Zidane’s volleys – doing my own versions,” said Chalamet in a statement. “I love this game, so it’s unbelievable to be doing this with adidas, captured with the best to ever do it. I’m a traditionalist, I don’t know soccer, I know football, and I can’t wait for this summer’s World Cup.”
