Nike Rip the Script launched with a six minute short film released by Nike that uses football as a lens to connect sport, music, entertainment and fashion, the company said.
The film runs about six minutes and, according to Nike, the campaign was conceived to challenge established rules and reimagine what football can be when paired with pure passion and creativity.
The cast gathers multiple football generations, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vini Jr., Ronaldinho, and Eric Cantona, who appear together to weave past and present stories of the sport, Nike said.
Cristiano Ronaldo serves as a through line in the narrative, interacting with next generation players to underscore the relationship between football heritage and innovation, Nike said in its campaign notes.
Beyond the pitch, Nike Rip the Script brings in figures from wider popular culture to broaden the campaign into a cross cultural football universe. The cast includes Lisa of Blackpink, Kim Kardashian, Travis Scott, Central Cee, Channing Tatum, and LeBron James, each making brief but carefully staged appearances.
Eric Cantona’s cameo draws notice for its nod to his famous seagull remark, a moment the film uses to pay tribute to the former player and his place in football lore. Nike described the cameo as an homage to Cantona’s personal history in the sport.
The film mixes humor and internet culture, as when LeBron James shares the frame with Cristiano Ronaldo, creating a playful intersection of basketball, football and online conversation, Nike said.
Lisa’s look became a visual talking point. She appears wearing an outfit redesigned with direct inspiration from the Nike Mercurial Superfly 11 Elite boot. Though her screen time is brief, the styling integrates football kit elements into fashion, aligning with the campaign’s goal to blur boundaries between sport and style.
Travis Scott’s appearance has already drawn attention for the visible Cactus Jack x Nike T90 pieces in the film, a detail that continues a multi year collaboration between the artist and the brand while injecting streetwear into the football story Nike Rip the Script tells.
Kim Kardashian appears with her son Saint West, a casting choice Nike said was intended to reflect football’s role in family life and local communities rather than positioning the sport exclusively as a professional arena.
The film also hides smaller details for attentive viewers, such as Young Miko standing near Travis Scott and a young player named Mateo from Nike Community Football appearing at the end alongside Erling Haaland. Nike noted these cameos are meant to add layers and reflect real ties to grassroots football.
Nike Rip the Script does not follow a traditional sports advertising formula. Instead, it compresses multiple characters, storylines and cultural symbols into its six minute runtime, inviting viewers to find new details on repeated viewings, Nike said.
The campaign underscores Nike’s approach to sport as a cultural platform, one that the company says can connect legacy athletes, rising stars and creators across music and film. Nike called Rip the Script a statement about creativity, inheritance and the future of football culture.
