Nike Debuts “Rip the Script”: A Step Inside the Universe of Nike Football

What is “Rip the Script”?
“Rip the Script” is Nike’s rallying cry for football lovers everywhere to ditch the playbook and embrace attacking, creative, instinctive and joyful football — serving as a reminder that the game is at its best when players trust their gut.

How does “Rip the Script” play out throughout the summer?
Nike designed “Rip the Script” as a doorway to the universe of Nike Football to be discovered throughout the summer tournament, with overlapping and ongoing subplots and extensions; unexpected casting; and a steady drumbeat of Easter egg–packed content that invites fans, creators and players into the game.

Who’s featured in Nike’s “Rip the Script” film?
“Rip the Script” brings together some of the biggest names in football today, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Vini Jr. It also features football icons such as Eric Cantona, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba and Jorge Campos, alongside cameos from figures across sport and culture, including LeBron James, Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, Ted Lasso, Kate Scott, Channing Tatum, Young Miko and LISA. Together, the cast reflects both the depth of Nike’s connection to football and the game’s influence beyond the pitch.

How does the universe of Nike Football represent an authentic love for the game?
Nike’s love for the game is on display this summer through the brand’s pinnacle on-pitch innovations and authentic, localized expressions of football culture.

Courage over convention. Instinct over instruction. Creativity over everything.

Nike is introducing “Rip the Script”: a rallying cry for young players everywhere to ditch the playbook and embrace attacking, creative, instinctive and joyful football. More than a film, “Rip the Script “is a gateway to an unfolding universe of Nike Football that moves at the speed of culture: fast; layered; remixable; and alive across sport, entertainment, music and fashion.

“We know the magical moments in football happen when players trust their instincts,” says Helena Thornton, VP, Nike Brand Management. “That’s the kind of football we love: fresh, instinctive, unexpected and creative.”

That’s the tone “Rip the Script” sets, in its content and in the world around the film.

“We made this film to meet football communities exactly where they are, not just on a screen, but in their world and deeply engrained into their subcultures,” says Helena. “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.”

Set inside a Hollywood mega‑studio, “Rip the Script” sees Nike’s biggest footballers of the past and present go off script and show they know best, unleashing chaos in a freewheeling celebration of intuitive play.

Each player acts on instinct as the action unfolds. Kylian Mbappé breaks away from the defense, then finishes with a brilliant bicycle kick. Vini Jr. sidesteps hostility with a smile. Cristiano Ronaldo keeps pushing the limits of how much one athlete can achieve. Erling Haaland strikes only when the moment is right. Legends like Eric Cantona, Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Didier Drogba and Jorge Campos continue to play by their own rules, even in retirement.

The likes of LeBron James, Travis Scott, Kim Kardashian, Ted Lasso, Kate Scott, Channing Tatum, Young Miko and LISA make cameo appearances, entertained and amused by the mad brilliance unfolding around them — and reinforcing Nike’s belief that football’s influence reaches far beyond the game.

“We were intentional in choosing every cast member in the film, and we had fun and leaned into the playfulness of their roles,” says Enrico Balleri, VP, Creative Director, Global Brand Voice. “We knew Kim, for example, takes Saint to play football, so we created a whole ‘soccer mom’ persona for her, and in later extensions of the film, we’ll build and deepen that storyline. A cast that reflected an authenticity and a real connection to football was crucial to us.”

The universe of Nike Football reflects Nike’s holistic, longstanding commitment to the game, on display this summer through the brand’s pinnacle on-pitch innovations and localized expressions of football culture. Exactly how that’s showing up:

• Bringing More Innovation to Kits: On the pitch, Nike’s 2026 federation collections merge the brand’s Aero-FIT performance cooling technology with deep explorations of each federation’s heritage, culture and identity, bringing forward time-honored traditions and bold visions for the future.
  
  
• Creating Nike’s Best Boots Yet: Further seizing the spotlight is Nike’s elite boot lineup, which is engineered to promote a creative, fearless style of play for the greatest athletes in the game, with Mercurial Vapor 17 delivering unreal quickness in tight spaces, Mercurial Superfly 11 unlocking breakaway speed, Phantom 6 enabling the most precise attack, and Tiempo Maestro supporting superior dribbling performance.
  
  
• Dedicating to a More Creative Game: Creativity is central to the mission of Toma el Juego, Nike’s community-led street football program. Designed to unleash the joy, freedom and creativity of football among young athletes, Toma has fueled football culture through over 100 tournaments across six continents and more than 20 cities, creating new pathways from street football to elite play. Nike’s commitment to a creative game is also represented in the latest collaboration in a global partnership with LEGO ^®, bringing to life a shared belief that play fuels creativity.
  
  
• Defining the Future of Football Culture: Nike’s new X2 collections reflect national pride through style and a distinctly local POV, with seven country-specific styles shaped by their federation, then reinterpreted through the lens of designers, artists and communities who live the game every day. Meanwhile, the Nike Cryoshot and Mad 90 Pack adapt iconic on-pitch designs as contemporary sportswear, connecting a new generation with defining moments in football lore. Further, the Hollywood Keepers sportswear collection pushes the limits of kit design beyond competition guidelines, recasting the expressive style and attitude of 1990s and early 2000s goalkeepers for a new generation.
  
  
• Rooting Products in Emotion and Authenticity: The Tercer Tiempo F.C. and Amor & Furia collections in Mexico and Latin America translate match day energy into pieces created to be worn wherever the game is lived.
  
  
• Connecting the Universe of Nike Football to People Around the World: Nike is igniting a passion for football across an integrated marketplace — connecting with fans locally, wherever and however they choose to shop. Starting in early June and running through the end of the tournament, the brand will refresh more than 5,000 retail locations across Nike and wholesale partner stores to bring football to life at scale globally. In New York, for example, Nike is partnering with Pro:Direct to build the House of Merc, showcasing the best of Mercurial culture, craft and innovation at the iconic 21 Mercer storefront. In Los Angeles, Nike will transform a longtime Niky’s Sports location into Estadio Niky’s, featuring a built pitch, hyperlocal customization and Mercurial-focused football lab. And in Dallas, Nike is creating The Roof At Vanta in partnership with soccer.com, turning the rooftop facility into an immersive football environment for global fans, Mad Ballers and the local community.
  
  

Want to go deeper? See more of our Universe of Nike Football.