Ronaldo, Mbappé, Haaland and Vinicius join Lisa, Tatum, Kardashian and LeBron

Former BLACKPINK artist Lisa and football icon Cristiano Ronaldo [Provided by Nike]
Former BLACKPINK artist Lisa and football icon Cristiano Ronaldo [Provided by Nike]

Nike unveiled its new campaign "Rip the Script" on Friday, offering a fresh perspective on football ahead of the World Cup.

The campaign is built on the belief that football's greatest moments are born not from meticulous calculation but from players trusting their instincts and making bold choices — spotlighting the freedom, creativity and joy that come from playing beyond fixed tactics and rigid frameworks.

Set in a Hollywood mega-studio, the film brings together some of the world's best players — Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior — alongside football legends including Eric Cantona, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Didier Drogba, all refusing to follow a predetermined script and playing the game on their own terms.

The studio gradually transforms into a playground where unpredictable moves and spontaneous choices collide, each player's personality and energy blending to capture the essence of fast, bold and unrestrained football. Singer Lisa, Travis Scott, actor Channing Tatum, Kim Kardashian and NBA legend LeBron James appear in cameo roles, symbolizing how deeply football is woven into culture beyond the pitch.

Actor Channing Tatum (left) and Erling Haaland stretch together (left photo), alongside Kim Kardashian
Actor Channing Tatum (left) and Erling Haaland stretch together (left photo), alongside Kim Kardashian

"Rip the Script" goes beyond a conventional brand film, presenting what Nike calls a "Nike Football Universe" — an expanding world in which fans, players and creators all take part. Rather than ending with a single video, the campaign unfolds as a living culture, with easter eggs embedded in the film, unconventional casting choices and branching storylines all connecting organically.

Helena Thornton, Nike's vice president of brand management, said the company knows that football's most magical moments happen when players trust their instincts. "We didn't want to follow a typical marketing formula," she said. "We wanted to give football fans something worth talking about, worth collecting, worth wearing and worth showing up for."

The full version of the "Rip the Script" campaign is available on Nike.com and the Nike Football official Instagram account.


yjc@heraldcorp.com