Andy Devaney
adidas has unveiled LA PREPARACÍON AMERICANA, a short film that captures the raw, unpredictable spirit of football before the FIFA World Cup 2026™. It’s part training diary, part fever dream — a celebration of how the world’s best players are preparing for the biggest show on Earth.
The story opens in the noisy heart of Manhattan. Trinity Rodman stands at a newsstand surrounded by headlines about wild training routines. It’s an early sign that LA PREPARACÍON AMERICANA isn’t about drills and data; it’s about creativity, culture, and that reckless kind of freedom football thrives on.
When football steps off the pitch
German playmaker Florian Wirtz turns up next, thrown into a session that would make any conditioning coach sweat. Under Julian Nagelsmann’s direction, Wirtz faces Canadian ice hockey players and Mexican luchadores — because apparently, that’s how you toughen up for a World Cup.
The tone shifts again down south, where a western saloon becomes a makeshift training ground. Lamine Yamal, still barely old enough to rent a car, shows ridiculous control while riding a mechanical horse in the new Spain Home jersey. Aitana Bonmatí looks on, cool and approving — like a master watching a student nail the impossible.
Messi hits strikes instead of goals
Then it’s over to an American bowling alley, where Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul trade the ball for bowling pins. Messi, of course, can’t miss. Strike after strike, the man’s precision is almost annoying. It’s light-hearted, yes — but quietly brilliant, showing how repetition and instinct go hand in hand.
Just when you think the ride’s over, a frantic reporter breaks in: “Buckle up.” We land in Mexico City, where Edson Álvarez arrives in full throttle — chaos, noise, movement — everything that defines football before it begins.
Half a century of partnership, still going strong
As makers of the World Cup’s official match ball, TRIONDA, and jersey supplier for over 22 federations, adidas isn’t just part of football’s story — it is the story. For more than fifty years, the brand has lived at the heart of the game.
LA PREPARACÍON AMERICANA celebrates that bond — between nations, styles, and generations — showing that preparation isn’t about staying comfortable. It’s about stepping into something unknown and trusting that the game will carry you through.
It’s a reminder that in football, just like in life, the best moments come when you stop trying to control them.
