Nike has ripped up its own script in its 2026 World Cup campaign.
Its ‘Rip the Script’ World Cup campaign stars the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vini Jr and Cole Palmer (who didn’t get selected to play in the World Cup) alongside legends of the game such as Eric Cantona, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba and Jorge Campos.
There are cameos from sport and entertainment, including James, Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, Ted Lasso, Kate Scott, Channing Tatum, Young Miko and LISA.
The hero spot is meant to deliver cinematic storytelling while serving as a conduit to an “interconnected network of content, activations, partnerships and storylines that will unfold over time”.
Nike said it designed ‘Rip the Script’ as a “doorway to the universe of Nike Football to be discovered throughout the summer tournament”, with overlapping and ongoing subplots and extensions, unexpected casting and a steady drumbeat of Easter egg–packed content that invites fans, creators and players into the game.
The result is a fast-moving, somewhat chaotic mish-mash of football and celebrity culture that nods to some of Nike’s best previous World Cup work, such as the airport ad of 1998, while trying to attract younger generations who care more about celebrity.
“We made this film to meet football communities exactly where they are, not just on a screen, but in their world and deeply ingrained into their subcultures,” said Helena Thornton, VP, Nike Brand Management.
“We didn’t want to follow the traditional marketing playbook. We wanted to give them something worth talking about, worth clipping, worth wearing, worth showing up to. A story they don’t just watch – one they can make their own. That’s the whole idea behind our universe of Nike Football.”
