- Timothée Chalamet makes his official debut as an Adidas partner in a cinematic World Cup 2026 campaign trailer, joined by longtime Adidas collaborator Bad Bunny, Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Ousmane Dembélé, and Trinity Rodman.
- The trailer, released May 6, 2026, opens with Chalamet calling Bad Bunny and insisting he knows "football, not soccer," before escalating into a full film-trailer-style spectacle; the full campaign video drops May 7.
- Bad Bunny has been an Adidas partner since 2021 and became the first Latin artist to receive an Adidas signature shoe, the BadBo 1.0, in 2026, on top of headlining Super Bowl 60 and winning the Grammy for Album of the Year.
- Timothée Chalamet, a dual US-France citizen, previously declared he'd support both nations at the 2026 World Cup; his recent brand portfolio also includes Lucid Motors and a newly announced minority equity stake in luxury watchmaker Urban Jürgensen.
Adidas has dropped a cinematic World Cup 2026 campaign trailer starring Timothée Chalamet, Bad Bunny, Lionel Messi, David Beckham, and more ahead of the tournament.
The clip opens with Chalamet on a call with Benito, insisting “I know about football, Benito. Football,” a line that sets the tone for what plays out like a blockbuster movie trailer.
This marks Chalamet’s official debut as an Adidas partner, making him the latest A-lister added to the brand’s star-studded roster.
Off-screen, Chalamet has been stacking partnerships. He signed on as global ambassador for luxury EV brand Lucid Motors in 2025, and just took a minority equity stake and creative advisor role at independent watchmaker Urban Jürgensen, announced in April 2026.
For Bad Bunny, this is familiar territory. His Adidas partnership, which began in 2021, has been a defining force in blending Latin culture with global sportswear. In 2026, he became the first Latin American artist to receive a signature shoe from Adidas, the BadBo 1.0.
Earlier this year, he launched the BadBo 1.0 in collaboration with Adidas, capping a run that also included headlining the Super Bowl 60 halftime show and winning the Grammy for Album of the Year.
Chalamet, a dual US-France citizen, is also set to return as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Three in December 2026, joining Zendaya and Florence Pugh. The full Adidas campaign drops May 7.
Takeaways
Adidas is engineering a cultural collision here, pairing the reigning voice of Gen Z cinema with Latin music’s biggest global name, and wrapping it in the most-watched sporting event on Earth. This isn’t just a sports ad.
It’s a flex: Adidas is signaling that the World Cup belongs to culture just as much as it belongs to athletes. Having Chalamet, whose brand portfolio skews luxury and cerebral, step into the Three Stripes for his first-ever Adidas deal is a statement move.
And for Bad Bunny, who’s spent five years building one of the most creatively ambitious partnerships in sneaker history, starring alongside Hollywood’s hottest actor only amplifies his crossover weight.
The timing is sharp. The World Cup co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico this summer will draw massive North American audiences, and Adidas is clearly playing to that energy with faces that resonate far beyond traditional football fans.
Does Timothée Chalamet’s Adidas debut signal a longer partnership, and could a signature sneaker be on the horizon? With Bad Bunny already holding a signature shoe and now sharing the spotlight with Chalamet, is Adidas building the most culturally dominant brand roster in sportswear?
