Adidas has created an AI-generated version of David Beckham for their star-studded £50million 2026 FIFA World Cup advert. The sports brand has been in partnership with Beckham for nearly 30 years, since his first boot deal in 1996.
Backyard Legends Trailer
The five-minute trailer, named Backyard Legends, was released on YouTube on Thursday. It features different AI versions of David, 51, from the nineties and early noughties, sporting some of his most iconic haircuts, including the mohawk. According to The Sun, Beckham secured a 'multi-million pound fee' to join the campaign. Daily Mail has contacted David's representative for comment.
Star-Studded Cast
Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet stars as a passionate amateur manager and the film's narrator. The plot follows a street football match where a team of young prodigies called 'The Invincibles' take on global icons. AI versions of Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro del Piero also appear with Beckham, who ends up getting the football stuck in a tree.
A host of world-class soccer stars appear in the commercial, including Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), and Florian Wirtz (Liverpool). Lionel Messi and Bad Bunny also star in the advert.
Timothée Chalamet's Comments
Timothée said of starring in the cinematic short film: 'I used to dream of playing with these guys – you know, I was playing at Pier 40 as a kid, thinking about Beckham’s free kicks, Del Piero’s goals, and Zidane’s volleys – doing my own versions. I love this game, so it’s unbelievable to be doing this with Adidas, captured with the best to ever do it. I'm a traditionalist, I don’t know soccer, I know football, and I can’t wait for this summer’s World Cup.'
2026 FIFA World Cup
The cinematic advert was dropped ahead of the World Cup, which is set to begin on June 11. The tournament will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It will feature an expanded format with 48 teams, making it the largest World Cup in history. The tournament is expected to attract massive worldwide audiences.
