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- Nike has unveiled “Rip the Script”, its new football campaign, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The six-minute film is set inside a Hollywood-style mega studio, featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vini Jr., Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović and more
- Cameos include LeBron James, Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, Ted Lasso, Channing Tatum, LISA and Central Cee
- Nike says the campaign will roll out across the tournament through football content, kits, boots, collections and retail activations
Nike hasn’t exactly gone small for its latest World Cup campaign. The sportswear giant has unveiled “Rip the Script”, a six-minute football film that drops some of the biggest names in the game into a Hollywood-style mega-studio and lets the players take over from there.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vini Jr., Cole Palmer, Jamal Musiala, Virgil van Dijk, Bruno Fernandes, Alexia Putellas, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba, Eric Cantona and Jorge Campos all appear, alongside a fairly absurd supporting cast of famous faces from sport, music, television and fashion. LeBron James is there. Travis Scott is there. Kim Kardashian is there, with her football-loving son Saint. Plus, Ted Lasso, Channing Tatum, Young Miko, LISA, Central Cee and Clint 419 are all in the mix too.
There are so many people featured, it’s almost as if Nike called in a favour to the entire group chat. No wonder they kept going off script.
Nike Goes Off Script
“Rip the Script” is built around the idea of attacking, instinctive and creative football. In the film, that instinct leads the players to break free of the production and one very enraged director, kicking the ball into a series of chaotically creative sequences across movie sets, from action to horror.
Mbappé launches into a bicycle kick. Vini Jr. smiles his way through the noise. Ronaldo escapes from a house that just exploded. Retired legends drift in and out of the action, looking for one last moment of glory. Even Channing Tatum pops up in a full Erling Haaland stunt-double getup before the real Haaland eventually arrives to finish the attacking play.
One of the final beats looks like a young player might take the header, only for Haaland to appear over the top and smash the ball into the net. It’s silly, heavily produced and exactly the kind of moment Nike will be hoping gets clipped into pieces before the tournament even starts.
Though we have to be honest, we were gunning for that kid to score.
Another Big World Cup Campaign Arrives
“Rip the Script” also separates Nike from the other World Cup campaigns we’ve covered so far.
Adidas went cinematic with Timothée Chalamet, Bad Bunny and Lionel Messi, turning street football into something closer to a heist movie. Palace, Nike and England leaned into pubs, folklore and Wayne Rooney reading Shakespeare. This one goes for the spectacle of Hollywood, bringing footballers, celebrities and cultural figures into the same frame, then letting the players tear through the production.
Famous people will certainly bring attention, but Nike seems more interested in selling the energy around the FIFA World Cup than celebrity alone. Between the highlights and replays, we’ll no doubt see the camera panning to the celebrities and famous faces in the crowd. It’s all a part of the spectacle of World Cup football, and Nike isn’t shy about embracing that spotlight.
More Than a One-Off Film
Nike is also treating “Rip the Script” as the entry point into a wider football push across the tournament. The campaign will continue through overlapping storylines, Easter Eggs and maybe a few extra scenes for the movie, with products and programs launching to support the film.
That includes Nike’s 2026 federation kits, its latest football boots, the X2 collections and Cryoshot sneakers, the Mad 90 Pack, the Hollywood Keepers sportswear collection, the Tercer Tiempo F.C. and Amor & Furia ranges in Mexico and Latin America, and retail activations across more than 5,000 Nike and partner stores globally.
The film might be the loudest part of the campaign, but it goes far beyond a few famous faces and the world’s best footballers.
With the tournament build-up now properly underway, the old sportswear ad battle is back in full swing. Adidas has its street-football legends. Palace has Rooney at Stonehenge. Nike has gone for a Hollywood lot full of footballers who don’t seem especially interested in following directions.
They can save the instructions for the coach.
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