"Backyard Legends"

7 May 2026

5 mins 05s

A different kind of underdog.

Timothée Chalamet has swapped table tennis for football in this sensational ad for Adidas ahead of this summer's World Cup as he reprises the vibe of his performance as 'Marty Supreme' to pull together a team for a playground soccer tournament. And this being an ad for one of the biggest sportswear brands on the planet, Chalamet is not the only star on show.

A veritable who's who shows up to strut their stuff including some of the players who will adorn the pitches of North America in June and July, as well as a few vintage stars.

It's all bound together by a central performance from Chalamet which offers a powerful reminder of why he's so sought after as an actor. He is spellbinding, and director Mark Molloy makes the absolute most of his charisma. As he captivates Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal in the back of his car, despite their attempt to exhibit nonchalance, he similarly captivates the audience as we find ourselves gripped by his tale of footballing derring-do.

Molloy handles the football choreography brilliantly, but it's the little reaction sequences in the bar where he's in his element. He draws superb performances from the footballers, and given the twin constraints of time and acting ability, this is nothing short of miraculous.

The de-ageing used on David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero is questionable as it's a bit of a gambol through the uncanny valley, but by showing different versions of Beckham with his varying hairstyles, there is at least a degree of knowingness about it.

In any case, the non-stop patter emerging from Chalamet keeps the whole thing on track and helps viewers easily glide through its five-minute length without once looking to scroll forward.

Blessed are the storytellers... on both sides of the camera.

Global

Sportswear