Cole Palmer, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe join Kim Kardashian in Nike’s star-studded World Cup campaign

Nike has unveiled its latest global football campaign ahead of the 2026 World Cup, bringing together some of the sport’s biggest superstars alongside a host of celebrities from across entertainment, music and sport.

The new “Rip the Script” campaign features Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior and Cole Palmer as the faces of a movement designed to celebrate football’s creativity, spontaneity and individuality.

Football’s biggest stars lead new campaign

The campaign’s headline film assembles an impressive cast of current stars and legendary figures from the football world.

Alongside Mbappe, Haaland, Vinicius and Palmer, the advert also includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Eric Cantona and Didier Drogba.

Nike’s latest project focuses on encouraging players to trust their instincts rather than follow rigid tactical scripts, highlighting the moments of imagination that often define football’s greatest matches.

The campaign arrives just days before the start of the 2026 World Cup and forms a key part of Nike’s global football strategy for the tournament.

Kim Kardashian and LeBron James make surprise appearances

Football is not the only world represented in the campaign.

Nike has blended sport, fashion and entertainment by recruiting several high-profile celebrity figures to feature alongside its football ambassadors.

Reality television star Kim Kardashian, rapper Travis Scott, NBA icon LeBron James and actor Channing Tatum all appear throughout the film, helping broaden the campaign’s appeal beyond traditional football audiences.

The crossover approach reflects Nike’s intention to position football culture at the centre of wider global conversations ahead of the World Cup.

Nike explains the message behind “Rip the Script”

Nike’s Vice President and Creative Director of Global Brand Voice, Helena Thornton, explained that the campaign was inspired by football’s most unpredictable moments.

“We know the magical moments in football happen when players trust their instincts,” Thornton said.

“That’s the kind of football we love: fresh, instinctive, unexpected and creative.”

She also revealed that Nike deliberately moved away from conventional sports marketing approaches.

“We didn’t want to follow the traditional marketing playbook. We wanted to give them something worth talking about, worth clipping, worth wearing, worth showing up to.”

“A story they don’t just watch — one they can make their own. That’s the whole idea behind our universe of Nike Football.”

New kits and boots launched alongside campaign

The “Rip the Script” project extends far beyond the promotional film itself.

Nike is simultaneously unveiling a range of new federation kits and updated football boots ahead of the World Cup.

The latest national team collections feature the company’s Aero-FIT cooling technology, while upgraded Mercurial, Phantom and Tiempo boots have been designed to maximise speed, control and precision.

The launch represents one of Nike’s biggest football product rollouts in recent years as brands compete for visibility during the sport’s biggest global event.

Grassroots football remains a key focus

Nike has also used the campaign to highlight its continued investment in grassroots football.

Through its “Toma el Juego” initiative, the company has organised more than 100 tournaments around the world, creating opportunities for young players to showcase their talent.

One of those emerging talents, Mateo, features in the campaign film as a symbol of football’s future generation.

By combining global superstars, cultural icons and grassroots talent, Nike hopes its latest campaign will capture the imagination of football fans worldwide as anticipation builds for the 2026 World Cup.