Nike has launched its new “Rip the Script” film ahead of the 2026 World Cup, featuring a cast packed with football icons and cultural figures.
Mbappe, Haaland, Vinicius and Palmer are in the campaign, alongside legends Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Didier Drogba.
The film centres on football’s creative side, moving away from rigid structure and embracing instinctive play. Global celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Travis Scott, LeBron James and Channing Tatum also make appearances as Nike blends football with wider popular culture.
The campaign extends beyond the film itself, incorporating new federation kits, updated boot collections and grassroots initiatives designed to encourage the same style of expressive football promoted throughout the advert.
Nike explains the vision behind the campaign
Nike’s VP and Creative Director of Global Brand Voice, Helena Thornton, said the campaign was built around the belief that football’s most memorable moments come when players trust their instincts.
She explained in Nike official website: “We know the magical moments in football happen when players trust their instincts. That’s the kind of football we love: fresh, instinctive, unexpected and creative.”
Thornton also stressed that the campaign was designed to engage modern audiences across multiple platforms. She added: “We made this film to meet football communities exactly where they are, not just on a screen, but in their world and deeply engrained into their subcultures.
“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.”
