The World Cup has arrived in America. And Americans are into it.
Soccer may not dominate the American sports conversation year-round, but the FIFA World Cup 2026 is shaping up to be a different story. Nearly 9 in 10 Americans told us the tournament feels like a big event where they live.
What’s more, it seems to be living up to the hype, with 3 in 4 rating their experience positively so far. Team USA gave Americans even more to cheer about by opening tournament play with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay. Many came away impressed by the performance, giving Americans even more reason to tune in.
That’s only half the story.
When America hosts, it doesn’t just stage a sporting event. It puts on a show. The opening ceremony brought together Katy Perry, LISA, Tyla, and Future, turning the World Cup into part football tournament, part entertainment spectacle, and very much a cultural moment.
Meanwhile, in the country where soccer is called football, the mood is a little different. For Brits, it all comes down to whether the match is worth losing sleep over. And that decision largely comes down to who’s playing. Home nations are the biggest draw for late-night viewing, while others are happy to wait until the next morning for the highlights.
One side is embracing the show. The other is setting alarms. But both are paying attention, and that’s exactly what brands are counting on…
Here’s what happens when the World Cup meets America’s marketing machine
We ran Pulses on Adidas’ Backyard Legends, Nike’s Rip the Script and Jeep’s World Cup giveaway to see how consumers reacted. The football may be on the pitch, but there’s a pretty interesting rivalry playing out between the brands too.
Here’s what consumers thought.
Adidas Backyard Legends campaign
Adidas’ Backyard Legends campaign brings together Timothée Chalamet, Lionel Messi, Bad Bunny, Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham and Trinity Rodman in a film that blends soccer, celebrity culture and cinematic storytelling. With plenty of visual effects and a few nods to football’s past.
What was the initial reaction to the ad?
This one hit the target. More than 3 in 4 gave the ad a thumbs up, with 44% saying they loved it and another 33% saying they liked it. Only around 13% said they didn’t really connect with it or felt it wasn’t for them.
How did people rate the star-studded cast?
The line-up looked like a dream team on paper, and viewers seemed to agree. More than 8 in 10 rated the cast as strong, including 51% who called it very strong. With football icons, rising stars and celebrity appearances all sharing the screen, the cast proved to be one of the campaign’s biggest strengths.
What did viewers think about the use of AI?
Turns out AI gets a warmer welcome when football legends are involved. Around 62% of viewers reacted positively to Adidas recreating younger versions of football icons, either saying they liked it or found it creative. While some felt it was strange (10%) or didn’t like it (12%), most seemed happy to go along with the technology when it was used to bring football legends back into the story.
What left the biggest impression?
The story stood out above everything else. Around 31% said the narrative was the most memorable part of the commercial, ahead of the street soccer scenes (24%), soccer stars (23%) and throwback feel (22%). Rather than one standout moment, viewers seemed to connect with a mix of storytelling, football culture and familiar faces.
In fact, the story is that good. Backyard Legend left viewers wanting a sequel. More than 8 in 10 said they would be interested in seeing the concept expanded into a movie, including 41% who said they would be very interested. That’s a strong sign that Adidas built a world viewers wanted to stay in.
Adidas wanted to tell a story. Americans think it succeeded. The cast drew praise, the AI recreations sparked curiosity, and the football culture gave the film heart. But the real winner was the storytelling. With its stylish visuals, larger-than-life characters and cinematic chaos, Backyard Legends felt less like a commercial and more like the opening chapter of a film. Think Marty Supreme meets street football.
Nike Rip the Script campaign
Nike’s Rip the Script campaign throws football into a whirlwind of movie sets, gaming worlds, social media moments and larger-than-life celebrity appearances. Featuring stars including Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimović alongside Kim Kardashian, Travis Scott and Ted Lasso, the film leans heavily into spectacle, speed and digital culture.
What was the initial reaction to the ad?
This one landed even more strongly than Adidas. More than 3 in 4 reacted positively, including 54% who said they loved it and 22% who liked it. Just 13% said they didn’t connect with it or felt it wasn’t for them.
How did viewers rate the line-up?
Nike’s cast looked almost impossible to top, and viewers certainly didn’t think it fell short. More than 8 in 10 rated the line-up as strong, including 62% who called it very strong. That’s an even stronger rating than Adidas’ star-studded cast, suggesting Nike’s mix of football icons and celebrity cameos packed serious pulling power.
How did viewers describe the creative style?
There wasn’t one single word for it. Viewers were most likely to describe the advert as fast-paced and exciting (27%), closely followed by creative and unexpected (24%) and chaotic but fun (21%). While 19% felt there was a bit too much going on, the overall picture is of a campaign that embraced the chaos and largely got away with it.
What was the reaction to the digital-first visual style?
All the rapid cuts, visual effects and internet-era references proved to be a winning combination. Nearly 8 in 10 viewers said they loved or liked the visual style, while only a small minority found it overwhelming or didn’t enjoy it. For most, the constant stream of scenes, references and visual effects added to the experience rather than distracting from it.
Nike wasn’t interested in subtlety. It threw everything at the screen, and it worked. Americans embraced the high-energy visuals, stacked cast, and that anything-can-happen feel. There was a lot happening, but that only added to the appeal. If Adidas felt like the stylish chaos of an A24 film, Nike brought a more raw, backstage energy. It felt like a football film handed to the internet and told to have fun: energetic, chaotic and impossible to ignore.
Jeep goes all in on George Washington and Team US
It’s not every day a promotion starts with George Washington. Jeep is offering up to 100 free 2026 Wranglers to Americans legally named George Washington, but only if Team USA wins the World Cup. It’s a giveaway that’s equal parts patriotic, playful, and a bit of a long shot.
What was the first reaction to the giveaway?
Most people got the joke. Around 33% described the idea as clever and 28% said it was funny. Others were less convinced, with 19% calling it unrealistic and 17% feeling Jeep was trying too hard. Overall, the playful side of the promotion seemed to land better than the criticism.
Does making it almost impossible make it more memorable?
That seems to be the trade-off. Some people felt the George Washington requirement and Team USA challenge made the giveaway more memorable (19%) or funnier (17%). Others thought it made the promotion feel unrealistic (23%) or like a publicity stunt (23%). The odds may have been long, but they were also hard to forget.
How did the giveaway make Jeep look?
The campaign gave Jeep a chance to show a different side of itself. Americans were most likely to see Jeep as a brand designed to get noticed (21%), while others described it as more fun (18%), more creative (17%) and more patriotic (17%). The promotion may not have transformed perceptions overnight, but it certainly made Jeep feel less predictable.
Would this get sent to the group chat?
Not necessarily. Around 47% said they would be very or somewhat likely to send the giveaway to a friend, while 53% said they probably wouldn’t. The split suggests the campaign was intriguing enough to get people talking, even if not everyone felt the need to hit share.
Jeep’s unusual giveaway landed more positively than negatively. Most people saw the humour in the idea, even if they weren’t convinced by the odds. The combination of George Washington, Team USA and a free Wrangler made for a campaign that was memorable, playful and a little unexpected.
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All of the insights in this report came from real consumers on OnePulse.
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