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Life & Culture, Saudi Arabia
adidas brings Backyard Legends to Saudi Arabia
Text Fady Nageeb
Football in Saudi Arabia is increasingly being shaped beyond stadiums and tournament headlines. Some of its most defining moments now exist across neighbourhood pitches, late-night screenings, gaming sessions and the everyday spaces where football has become an essential social language.
That energy sits at the centre of adidas’ latest Saudi-led chapter of its global “You Got This” campaign, Backyard Legends, released ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Fronted by Saud Abdulhamid alongside appearances from figures including Sami Al Jaber, the campaign follows a group of young fans across Riyadh debating their ultimate Saudi team while moving through the spaces that continue to shape football culture across the Kingdom.
Rather than positioning football purely through competition, the film focuses on the wider ecosystem surrounding the sport, from fandom and style to grassroots communities, emerging young players and the continued rise of women’s football locally.
As attention continues to build around Saudi Arabia’s role in global football ahead of 2026, Backyard Legends shifts the focus away from spectacle and toward the culture forming around the game itself.