Adidas has launched its star-studded 'Backyard Legends' World Cup campaign, with a short film featuring actor Timothée Chalamet and football icons David Beckham, Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi, and Zinedine Zidane. The campaign celebrates the informal games that shape players before they reach professional stages.
Campaign Launch
With the World Cup just a month away, the sporting giant released a five-minute short film fronted by Chalamet. The cast spans football, music, and entertainment, including current stars Lamine Yamal, Trinity Rodman, and rapper Bad Bunny. In the ad, Chalamet organizes a neighbourhood street match against a 'local crew' that hasn't lost in 30 years. He says: 'It's not a winning streak – it's a legend.'
Celebrating Football's Spirit
According to Adidas, the campaign is designed to celebrate 'the universal spirit of football' and the informal games that shape players long before they reach the professional stage. The company plans to roll out further events tied to the film across host cities in the US, Canada, and Mexico in the coming weeks.
The film features a nostalgic soundtrack, 90s street and terrace style, analogue tech, and era-defining hairstyles, blending cutting-edge CGI and visual effects to bring to life a simple truth: the backyard is where pressure disappears and legends begin. 'Because whether it's a cage pitch, a parking lot, a patch of grass or the World Cup stage, the game belongs to those who play free,' Adidas said.
Cameos and Star Power
The ad also includes cameos from soccer stars, including the 2002 versions of Alessandro Del Piero, Ousmane Dembélé, Raphinha, Pedri, Florian Wirtz, and Santiago Gimenez. Chalamet expressed his excitement: '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. 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.'
Adidas Vice President Comments
Florian Alt, Vice President Global Brand Communications at Adidas, said: 'Everyone remembers that feeling: playing for the joy of it, no pressure, no expectations. With Backyard Legends, we celebrate that freedom. It's a reminder that self-belief and playfulness are the real winning mindset. As our athletes and federations take to the biggest sporting stage this summer, we know that pressure is part of sport, we hear that directly from them. While we encourage competitiveness, our ambition is to inspire everyone, to disarm that pressure through playing free and believing, 'You Got This'. This is important for professional and grassroots players alike; in every sport, in every part of the world. The game isn't defined by the stage, the crowd, or the cameras. It's defined by those who play free, where everyone can create a legend.'
The World Cup kicks off June 11 and will be played in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
