Timothée Chalamet has teamed up with Jude Bellingham for Adidas’ new “Backyard Legends” campaign, released ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The sportswear giant unveiled the five-minute cinematic commercial on May 7 as part of its global buildup to the tournament, which kicks off June 11 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The ad follows Chalamet as he assembles a team capable of taking down Clive, Ruthie, and Isaak, an unbeaten local street football trio said to have gone decades without losing a match.
In the commercial, Chalamet recruits Bellingham alongside Trinity Rodman and Lamine Yamal to challenge the squad. The campaign also features appearances from several current and former football stars, including Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Alessandro Del Piero, Ousmane Dembélé, Raphinha, Pedri, Florian Wirtz, and Santiago Giménez.
Messi, who won the Golden Ball at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and has long been associated with Adidas, appears in the campaign alongside Bad Bunny. The music star has further expanded his ties to the sports world in recent months after performing during the Super Bowl LX halftime show and collaborating with Adidas on a Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team merchandise collection.
Adidas also used the campaign launch to spotlight several recent milestones and upcoming World Cup-related initiatives. Last month, the company became the first shoe brand worn by an athlete to complete a sub-two-hour marathon. For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Adidas will serve as the official outfitter for 22 national teams, including Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and Japan.
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Earlier this spring, Adidas unveiled a denim-inspired collection paying tribute to the United States men’s national soccer team squad from the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The company also introduced pet kits tied to participating national teams ahead of the tournament, allowing supporters to outfit their pets in official World Cup-themed gear.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to begin on June 11 and will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Lionel Messi Names France, Spain, Brazil And Portugal As World Cup Favorites
In a separate interview with Pollo Alvarez, Lionel Messi discussed the leading contenders for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and said Argentina should not be viewed as the main favorites despite entering the competition as defending champions.
Speaking about the tournament, Messi said Argentina’s current form places them behind several other national teams heading into the competition. He said, “We have to understand that there are other favorites ahead of us, teams that are arriving in better form.”
The Argentina captain added, “France are looking very strong once again, with so many top-level players. Spain, too, Brazil, even though they haven’t been at their best for a while, they are always contenders. Portugal, I think, also has a very competitive national team.”
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Messi specifically named France, Spain, Brazil, and Portugal as strong contenders to win the tournament. Argentina is scheduled to play Honduras in an international friendly on June 7 before opening their FIFA World Cup campaign against Algeria in a Group J match on June 17.
