German sportswear giant adidas has launched “Backyard Legends,” a new campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, bringing together stars from football, music and film in a nostalgic celebration of street football culture.
The five-minute film features Academy Award-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet alongside football icons Lionel Messi, Bad Bunny, Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham and Trinity Rodman. The campaign also includes appearances from football legends Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Alessandro Del Piero.
Set around a fictional neighborhood football challenge, the film follows Chalamet assembling a team to take on a local trio — Clive, Ruthie and Isaak — whose unbeaten “win or go home” streak has become part of community folklore. The story positions backyard football pitches as places where pressure disappears and legends are born.
“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,” Chalamet said.
Additional cameos in the campaign include Ousmane Dembélé, Raphinha, Pedri, Florian Wirtz and Santiago Giménez.
The campaign is built around adidas’ “You Got This” message and combines 1990s-inspired street football aesthetics, nostalgic music and visual effects to evoke the joy and freedom of informal play.
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.”
adidas, which is the official match ball provider for the tournament, said it will supply kits to 14 federations competing at the World Cup as part of its wider activation strategy around the global football event.
