“Backyard Legends”: adidas Recruits Timothée Chalamet, Messi, and Bad Bunny for a Massive World Cup 2026 Campaign

Summary

adidas has officially unveiled “Backyard Legends,” a cinematic short film celebrating the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup
The campaign features a massive, star-studded cast led by Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet, alongside global icons like Lionel Messi, Bad Bunny, and Jude Bellingham
The storyline focuses on an unbeatable neighborhood crew—Clive, Ruthie, and Isaak—who have fended off challengers for generations, including 90s icons like David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets closer, adidas is focusing on the roots of the game – local neighborhood fields. They’ve released a new, visually stunning short film called “Backyard Legends” which turns everyday street football stories into an inspiring global tale. The campaign features a remarkable group of athletes, musicians, and actors, and celebrates the joy of casual play, showing that anyone can become a legend, whether they’re playing on a concrete court or in a world-class stadium.

The movie stars Timothée Chalamet and centers around a legendary local street crew – Clive, Ruthie, and Isaak. They’re famous for their fierce competitive spirit and have a history of defeating even football legends like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Alessandro Del Piero. Now, Chalamet’s character is on a mission to beat them, so he’s building a new all-star team featuring today’s biggest names: Lionel Messi, Bad Bunny, Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, and Trinity Rodman.

“Backyard Legends” is a visually striking film that intentionally evokes strong feelings of 90s nostalgia. It expertly combines the fashion, hairstyles, and technology of that decade with modern CGI, creating a vibrant and captivating world. This enhances the story of the film’s legendary team, and is made even more exciting with unexpected appearances by today’s football stars, including Ousmane Dembélé, Raphinha, Pedri, Florian Wirtz, and Santiago Gimenez.

This project meant a lot to Timothée Chalamet, bringing together his lifelong love of the game and his current career. He explained that as a child, he’d spend hours playing at Pier 40, imagining himself making plays like Beckham, Del Piero, and Zidane. He’s a huge fan of ‘football’ – as he calls it – and is thrilled to be working with adidas and some of the greatest players ever, especially with the World Cup coming up this summer.

With the empowering message “You Got This,” the campaign connects legendary athletes with today’s stars and the rising generation. By showcasing the fun and carefree spirit of street football, adidas has created a standout World Cup marketing campaign.

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