Cole Palmer is a face of Nike's new World Cup ad. He dribbles across the screen in an England shirt.
There is just one catch. He won't wear that shirt at the tournament, because he didn't make the squad.
The ad is called "Rip the Script." It runs six minutes, which is movie length for a commercial.
The film is fun on purpose. Stars play wild versions of themselves on a chaotic movie set.
An overbearing director tries to script the game. The stars ignore him and just play.
It packs in more than 30 names. Nike's longtime agency, Wieden+Kennedy, made it.
The cast mixes today's stars with all-time greats. Think Mbappe, Haaland, and Ronaldo, next to Ronaldinho and Zlatan.
It even adds famous faces from outside the sport, like LeBron James and Kim Kardashian. Actor Jason Sudeikis even shows up as Ted Lasso.
The goal was never to match a team sheet. It was reach.
The film has pulled in about 76 million views on YouTube. That makes it one of the most-watched ads of the tournament so far.
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Nike is treating the World Cup like Marvel treats superheroes. It is building one big world of drops and stories that link together.
It led up to the ad with clothing lines tied to seven teams. One pairs the label Palace with England and even stars Wayne Rooney.
There is also a Lego team-up. And there is a youth street-soccer series, Toma, whose finals stream on Amazon.
Toma has run more than 100 events in the past year. They span six continents.
Nike marketing boss Helena Thornton said the brand wanted a "new blueprint" for World Cup ads. The old playbook was not enough.
The World Cup is the biggest stage in sports. Nike spends big to own the moment.
The 2026 event is co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. That drops it right into Nike's home market.
The tournament runs across 16 host cities this summer. Big brands spend hard to own those few weeks.
For investors, the ad shows how Nike guards its turf from Adidas. The Palmer quirk is a reminder that the ad machine runs on its own clock.
Rosters get cut. These ads were shot long before.
Nike has shaped how brands sell the World Cup for decades. This year it is spending big to prove it still sets the bar.
The ad will outlive the group stage. The squad list won't.
Whether Palmer plays or not, Nike already got its money's worth out of him.
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