The company adidas officially introduced a mini-film titled “Backyard Legends,” dedicated to the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The five-minute clip feels like a short film rather than a standard advertising campaign.
The video captures the atmosphere of neighborhood football from the 1990s, reflecting street culture through analog details, characteristic hairstyles, and a nostalgic soundtrack. The project’s central theme is that football legends are born not on grand stages but in local fields and backyards.
In the storyline, actor Timothée Chalamet assembles a team to participate in a 3×3 match against the unbeatable heroes of neighborhood football. His team includes Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, and U.S. national team player Trinity Rodman. According to the legend, the local team has remained undefeated through the generations, even against stars like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Alessandro Del Piero, whose rejuvenated AI-rendered versions also appear in the clip.
The mini-film also features renowned athletes and showbiz figures, including Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, Pedri, Florian Wirtz, Santiago Giménez, and rapper Bad Bunny.
One of the key scenes features a dialogue between Timothée Chalamet and Bad Bunny, in which the actor humorously highlights the differences between American Football and traditional soccer, as recognized worldwide. This segment reflects adidas’s effort to ingratiate soccer with American audiences, as the World Cup will be held on their home turf.
Timothée Chalamet remarked that participating in the project fulfills a childhood dream, as he was passionate about playing football in his youth, inspired by Beckham’s free kicks, Del Piero’s goals, and Zidane’s signature strikes.
The campaign continues to promote adidas’ core message: play freely and enjoy football. The official slogan of the project reads: “Whether it’s a cage, a parking lot, a patch of grass, or a World Cup stadium – the game belongs to those who play freely.”