Messi, Yamal, and Wirtz star in adidas’s new World Cup ad, but is the throne already being challenged?

It’s not just a commercial, it’s a declaration of generational change. In “La Preparación Americana,” adidas brings together Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal, and Florian Wirtz in one of the boldest World Cup campaigns in years. What looks like a playful display of football creativity subtly feels like something more: a passing of the torch.

From legend to heirs and a little tension in between

The ad opens with scenes that stretch from Manhattan to Mexico, from ice rinks to rodeo saloons, a wild tour of football’s imagination. Germany’s Wirtz toughens up in a hybrid training camp facing ice hockey enforcers and Mexican wrestlers. Then comes Spain’s teenage prodigy, Lamine Yamal, juggling a ball atop a mechanical bull with impossible control. His composure, and quiet confidence, hint that he’s not just here to learn, but to belong.

And then there’s Lionel Messi. Calm, centered, almost untouchable. In a glowing bowling alley, the Argentine maestro trades strikes with the same precision he’s shown for two decades on the pitch. Every shot feels like a reminder: greatness doesn’t need noise, just perfection.

But the edit tells its own story. Yamal’s youthful spark versus Messi’s seasoned mastery. Two generations sharing the screen, but not quite sharing the spotlight. One already a legend, the other playing like the world is his to inherit.

 

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The art and the science of football’s biggest stage

The campaign doubles as a showcase for adidas’s 2026 World Cup collection, a visual symphony of heritage and innovation. Argentina’s sky-blue stripes shimmer with nostalgia, Germany’s kit revives patterns from their ‘94 and 2014 triumphs, and Spain’s new jersey captures youthful boldness, fittingly fronted by Yamal.

Behind the aesthetics lies serious tech. Each kit uses CLIMACOOL+, engineered for the heat and humidity of a tri-nation World Cup that will span the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It’s adidas’ largest drop ever, 22 national teams, one global statement.

The bigger question: whose era is this?

As La Preparación Americana closes, Messi’s serene smile fades to Yamal’s focused stare, a cinematic wink at what’s to come. The ad celebrates unity, but beneath the harmony, there’s tension. The game’s future is arriving fast, and the legend still holds the crown.

Messi built the throne. Yamal might be next in line.