In view of the 2026 World Cup, adidas has launched a true film that celebrates soccer, its essence, and some of its most recognizable faces (from yesterday and today). It is titled Backyard Legends, and is part of a campaign that aims to inspire athletes around the world to bring freedom and joy to the field. This is why the “cast” chosen for this film is truly top-notch: there are Timothée Chalamet and Leo Messi, Lamine Yamal and Bad Bunny, Trinity Rodman and Jude Bellingham. And then Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Alessandro Del Piero: icons of the nineties who portray the neighborhood legends.
However, sometimes even legends can be defeated. In this specific case, they were beaten by Clive, Ruthie, and Isaak, unbeaten street players in a series of challenges where you must win or leave the field. On that same field, other exceptional faces also appear: Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, Raphinha, Pedri, Florian Wirtz, and Santiago Giménez. In short: a true Dream Team that, starting from the campaign claim, “You Got This,” shows how soccer always belongs to those who play freely. Whether on the street or in a World Cup stadium.
Florian Alt, Vice President Global Brand Communications at adidas, stated: “Everyone remembers that feeling: playing just for the joy of it, without pressure, without expectations. With Backyard Legends we celebrate that very freedom. It is a reminder that self-confidence and playfulness are part of a true winning mentality. We know that pressure is part of sports: athletes and federations preparing to step onto the biggest sports stage this summer tell us that directly. We encourage competitiveness, but our ambition remains to inspire everyone to defuse that very pressure, through free play and believing ‘You Got This’.” There isn’t much else to add, except for the full version of Backyard Legends, available on adidas’ YouTube channel: