2026 Inspiration Connects us All (Launch)

Footballco worked with Kia to launch its ‘Inspiration connects us all’ campaign for the FIFA World Cup 26, as part of its ongoing partnership, which sees Footballco leading campaign strategy, creative development, end-to-end production and the management of football legends, cultural influencers and entertainment talent.

The campaign extends across ten markets globally, including World Cup host nations: The United States of America, Mexico, and Canada, as well as Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

It all started with a teaser film starring French football icon and FIFA World Cup winner Thierry Henry. Released in parallel with the official FIFA World Cup Final Draw on December 5th, the film saw Henry staging his own World Cup-style draw, but with an unexpected twist. 

Taking visual cues from the official draw, the short film concludes with the final ball containing a slip of paper bearing the name ‘The 49th Team’ - the official title of Kia’s World Cup campaign, symbolising an additional team beyond the 48 official World Cup nations to celebrate the inspirational stories and abilities of the World Cup’s Official Match Ball Carriers.

The short film was followed by a secondary teaser, featuring Henry addressing rumours that he may be in charge of a new team at the World Cup, foreshadowing key narrative elements of the campaign still to come.