Adidas has officially launched the 26-27 season with a global campaign showcasing its key partner clubs’ new home kits.
The unified studio photoshoot, titled “We Are So Back,” features 19 priority partner clubs, arranged according to commercial importance.
The players are arranged against a pink studio backdrop, resulting in a clear visual hierarchy.
Real Madrid‘s Jude Bellingham and Inter Miami‘s Lionel Messi sit in the center of the front row.
Messi’s marketing value is highlighted by his placement alongside Bellingham, while Bayern Munich‘s Luis Diaz and Arsenal‘s Declan Rice are on the far left and right, respectively.
The second row includes Club America‘s Alejandro Zendejas, Manchester United‘s Bryan Mbeumo, Juventus‘ Kenan Yildiz, Liverpool‘s Florian Wirtz, and Flamengo‘s Giorgian de Arrascaeta.
River Plate‘s Marcos Acuna and Boca Juniors‘ Miguel Merentiel sit on opposite sides of the third row, separating the Argentine rivals. Benfica‘s Vangelis Pavlidis, Aston Villa‘s Emiliano Buendia, and Ajax‘s Steven Berghuis round out the row.
The fourth row at the top includes Olympique Lyonnais‘s Khalis Merah, Fenerbahce‘s Matteo Guendouzi, Newcastle United‘s Nick Woltemade, Orlando Pirates’ Thalente Mbatha, and AS Roma‘s Paulo Dybala.
To clarify any doubts, this massive 19-club group photo was not created by gathering 19 world-class football players in one location for a traditional photoshoot.
Instead, it was a digital composite created by Adidas’ global marketing teams.
Adidas has structured the campaign to create a clear hierarchy based on commercial prowess of the clubs and marketing abilities of players.
The recent success on the pitch of clubs like Bayern Munich and Arsenal puts them in the first row. Whereas from marketing standpoint players like Lionel Messi and Jude Bellingham remain the go-to Adidas athletes.
But this approach has also drawn criticism from some fans of several clubs that were excluded.
English juggernauts Liverpool and Man United were particularly miffed to have been put in second row.
Celtic fans have pointed out the contradiction of dominating UK kit sales while absent from the campaign.
Come on lads, Celtic are bigger than almost half the clubs on here pic.twitter.com/VqFh18ER4k
— Liam Boyle (@LiamBoyle03) August 18, 2026
Leeds United fans, who are already frustrated by their delayed domestic kit rollout, have interpreted the omission as a sign that the club is ranked lower than promoted rivals such as Newcastle in Adidas’ priorities.
In North America, Tigres UANL supporters have questioned why Club América was represented despite Tigres’ recent sporting success and large fan base.
Al Nassr supporters have also criticized the club’s absence. However, Cristiano Ronaldo‘s lifetime Nike endorsement prevents him from taking part in Adidas promotions, making his involvement impossible.
Adidas therefore left Al Nassr out of the campaign rather than including a club whose biggest star is associated with a rival sportswear brand.
why is CR7 not representing Al-Nassr here .. You band for Al-Nassr
— Tamiona (@Tamiona5) August 18, 2026
Ultimately, the “We Are So Back” campaign is more than just a kit launch. Its lineup and presentation reflect Adidas’ priorities in the global football market.
