UPDATE 5/7/26: adidas has released the full “Backyard Legends” short film on Instagram, building more energy around the 2026 World Cup.

The campaign brings together a major cast from sports and entertainment, including Timothée Chalamet, Bad Bunny, Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembélé, Lamine Yamal, Sir David Beckham, Alessandro Del Piero, Florian Wirtz, Santiago Giménez, Raphinha, and Pedri.

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Original Story 5/6/26:
adidas is building serious momentum ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a new campaign that feels closer to a movie trailer than a standard sportswear ad. Titled “A Legend Is Born”, the cinematic spot brings football, music, and film together for one of the brand’s biggest storytelling moments in recent memory.

Lionel Messi leads a stacked cast that also includes Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Alessandro Del Piero, Jude Bellingham, and Ousmane Dembélé. By mixing all-time legends with today’s biggest stars, adidas connects football’s past, present, and future in a way that fits the World Cup stage. The final moments shift toward three unknown young players, giving the campaign a deeper message about the next generation.

Bad Bunny also appears throughout the film, adding another global name to the campaign’s reach. Timothée Chalamet plays a key role as well, which appears to signal a larger partnership with adidas. His recent courtside appearance in the adidas Samba only adds more attention around his connection to the brand.

The trailer-style rollout suggests adidas may have more planned beyond this first look. With “A Legend Is Born” expected to expand in May, the campaign could become one of the brand’s defining moments leading into the 2026 World Cup.

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