The World Cup Ads
Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are central figures in the World Cup advertising campaigns for Nike and Adidas, respectively.
The World Cup is fundamentally about numbers: which team has scored the most goals, and who has accumulated enough points to advance to the knockout stages? This numerical focus extends to marketing, where brands compete on market capitalization and sales volume. Ultimately, success is measured by the numbers.
Nike's "Rip the Script" World Cup advert features prominent athletes such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo, and LeBron James.
Adidas counters with its "Backyard Legends" campaign, showcasing talents including Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Lionel Messi, and Zinedine Zidane, along with an AI-generated David Beckham.
These advertisements resemble Hollywood productions more than traditional commercials, reflecting the significant investment involved. Reports indicate Adidas spent approximately £50 million on its campaign. Neither company has publicly disclosed exact figures, but expenditures likely reach tens of millions.
High budgets are typical, yet this year both Nike and Adidas have escalated their efforts with larger and more ambitious campaigns.
Based on YouTube view counts at the time of writing, Nike leads with 76 million views, while Adidas' ad has garnered around seven million.
Camilo Andrade, vice-president and general manager of Nike Global Football, stated: "What has changed is the speed and shape of culture. In the digital age, stories travel faster, fragment faster, and get reinterpreted faster. That means the old model of one polished film doing all the work is no longer enough. With Rip The Script, we've built something broader: a football universe that lives both digitally and in real life. With this campaign in particular, success was never going to be measured only by how many people watched a film, but rather how we open the world up to give fans, players and creators something they could interpret, remix and take further themselves. When that starts happening, you know the work is moving beyond advertising and becoming part of football culture."
Adidas' Historical Connection and Campaign Approach
Adidas has been linked with the World Cup since 1970, when it created the iconic Telstar match ball for the tournament.
Florian Alt, Adidas' vice-president of marketing communications, brand and performance, commented: "Our campaign, Backyard Legends, featured a scene familiar to anyone who has played football – a local pitch, an unbeatable crew and some stories that become legends. And with that campaign we meet consumers where they are – whether they are watching on TV, following their favourite athletes on social media, or engaging with the culture created by the sport."
Adidas' Presence in New York City
As the World Cup marketing battle unfolds, Adidas appears to have made a stronger early impact in New York City.
In Soho, the contrast between the two brands is notable. Adidas and Nike's flagship stores face each other, but only Adidas' store is fully immersed in World Cup branding, prominently displaying football shirts and tournament merchandise. Nike's store focuses primarily on the New York Knicks following their recent NBA championship.
This difference extends beyond the stores. Throughout Manhattan, Adidas branding is prevalent, including dedicated World Cup pop-ups, promotional stands, and advertisements. These activations create a tangible sense of the tournament's presence.
Adidas has also effectively engaged with football culture beyond the pitch. Its recent away shirt designs have resonated within fashion and streetwear communities, especially among younger fans from football diaspora groups. Jerseys such as those of Japan and Curacao have become symbols of identity as well as team merchandise, blurring the lines between football apparel and everyday fashion.
On the streets, Adidas shirts appear more visible than Nike's, despite Nike producing the US national team's jersey.
While this is an early observation, Adidas currently seems to lead in capturing attention within Nike's home country.
World Cup Advertisements: A Legacy of Engagement
World Cup advertisements have entertained audiences and boosted brand revenues for years. Memorable campaigns include Brazil's airport scenes from France '98 and Adidas' "Jose +10" from 2006, where children built dream teams by selecting favorite players.
Sports brand strategist James Kirkham explained: "We talk about those older ads like long lost friends, like films or TV shows - we have nostalgia around them. Nowadays it is completely normalised that we're seeing Hollywood actors like Timothee Chalamet driving the cab in the Adidas spot. Football is the ultimate common denominator. It sits right there with music. It's the ultimate connective tissue. It can be incredibly uniting, but at the same time it sits at the heart of popular culture. Right now music, fashion, basketball, gaming and design - they all sit around and orbit what football is." Social media plays a huge role too. "Everyone says TV is dead but the reality is that TV is everything. TV is everywhere. Now it's like we have a million micro TVs. With Instagram reels, shorts, YouTube, TikTok etc we have a clip culture. It used to all be about duration and watch time. I think it's different now. You get something passed on to you and now you'll probably just see parts of it."
Player Endorsements and Merchandise
Lionel Messi has maintained a 20-year partnership with Adidas, while Cristiano Ronaldo, one of Nike's most prominent athletes, signed with the company in 2003.
Adidas' roster includes emerging talents such as Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham, both featured in their World Cup campaign.
Kylian Mbappe has been affiliated with Nike since he was eight years old. Vinicius Junior has worn Nike boots since age 13, and Marcus Rashford is among eight England players sponsored by Nike. Conversely, Declan Rice is one of seven England players who wear Adidas boots.
Raphinha joined Adidas sponsorship in 2024, and Netherlands and Liverpool centre-back Virgil Van Dijk is a key Nike athlete.
Adidas currently supplies kits for 14 World Cup teams, slightly ahead of Nike's 12 and Puma's 11, with other brands like New Balance also represented.
James Kirkham noted: "It's very normal that young fans follow at least four different nations - they definitely pursue individual players and that translates into shirt sales. Football and fashion are now completely entwined. Whether players are stepping out in Hugo, or whether it's Jude Bellingham with Gucci or whatever, that crossover is everywhere. It's expected and normal - and football shirts are at the heart of it."
Endorsements for boots (or shoes in North America) are a significant business for both brands, with competition to sign top players intense.
According to Bloomberg, Cristiano Ronaldo's decade-long deal with Nike is valued at nearly $18 million annually.
The Significance of the World Cup for Brands
Florian Alt stated: "The Fifa World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet so it's very important to us as a sports brand to perform at our best. But success for Adidas is supporting athletes in different sports, from the grassroots to the big stage."
Camilo Andrade added: "When the biggest football tournaments begin, the data is always a reminder of the same thing: football is still the world's clearest universal connector. Billions versus millions. The world pauses when these moments start. So in pure global scale, emotional intensity and cultural reach, the football remains in a world of its own."
Both Nike and Adidas operate as businesses focused on market share and revenue. Determining which brand sells the most sportswear will only be possible after the World Cup concludes.
Ultimately, the competition between these brands continues to revolve around the numbers.
Image production by Nathan Edwards
