Rip the script: Nike’s World Cup ad has one glaring problem fans spotted immediately
Nike’s star-studded World Cup ad is packed with famous faces, including Mbappé and Ronaldo, but one inclusion has raised eyebrows.
The 2026 World Cup is upon us, which means endless amounts of soccer-related ads from our favorite brands, sporting and otherwise. Given some of its iconic efforts in the past, Nike’s latest offering was always going to be among the most anticipated, and it doesn’t disappoint. However, it didn’t take fans long to notice one pretty major flaw.
There’s a lot going on in the full six-minute version of the ad, which you can watch below. Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland are among the big names who get most of the time in the limelight, ably supported by USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams and Mexican striker Raúl Jiménez, legends Eric Cantona and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and non-soccer stars including Kim Kardashian, LeBron James and Channing Tatum, Haaland’s long-haired stunt double.
England’s Palmer frozen out
You could even argue the fictitious director, furiously unable to keep those stars under control, is the star of the show. But there’s one man who sticks out like a sore thumb: Cole Palmer.
The Chelsea attacker gets his own “Iceman/Cold Palmer” segment, but sadly for him, he’s been frozen out of the England squad for the tournament, with Thomas Tuchel making the surprising decision to leave him at home.
Palmer’s surprise World Cup omission
Like his club, Palmer hasn’t had the best season and has made only three appearances for his country since the start of 2025. However, as one of the Premier League’s most decisive attackers in recent years, many, clearly including Nike, assumed he would be nailed on for a place in Tuchel’s squad.
That, though, is not the case, with the German omitting Palmer and other big names such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden as England chase their first World Cup victory and major international title in 60 years.
Palmer’s appearance in the Nike ad will be his only awkward contribution to the 2026 World Cup.
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