As the 2026 FIFA World Cup edges closer, adidas has just officially launched its latest global football campaign. Titled ‘Backyard Legends’, it brings together some of the biggest names across football, music, and film.
The cinematic short film features film star Timothée Chalamet alongside football icons including Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, and Trinity Rodman, while Bad Bunny also makes an appearance as adidas continues to merge sport with wider culture and entertainment.
Rather than centering the campaign around packed stadiums or major tournaments, ‘Backyard Legends’ focuses on the roots of football culture itself. Set across local pitches, cages and inner-city kickabouts, the film celebrates the environments where players first develop their creativity, confidence and competitive spirit long before the professional stage.
Narrated by Chalamet, the campaign follows a community football match that gradually transforms into a larger celebration of the sport’s global influence. Visually, the project leans into a raw and nostalgic aesthetic inspired by street culture, combining cinematic storytelling with references to grassroots football, terrace energy, and youth communities.
The campaign forms part of adidas’ wider “You Got This” platform, which encourages individuality, self-expression, and freedom within sport. By bringing together athletes, musicians, and actors from different worlds, adidas positions football as more than just a game, highlighting its role within fashion, music, and contemporary culture.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, ‘Backyard Legends’ marks one of adidas’ biggest football-focused campaigns of the year so far. The brand appears to be leaning heavily into nostalgia and authenticity, tapping into the emotional connection many fans have with street football and local community culture.
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