Headlined by Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal, Adidas reignites the timeless boot discourse, blending innovation, speed, and precision in its latest launch.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in 154 days (but who’s counting), and we finally know some of the footwear the world’s best will be wearing when they take the pitch this summer. On Thursday, Adidas unveiled the spring/summer Predator and F50 packs, conveniently reigniting the harmless debate over which boot is better to lace up for 90 minutes of action. More than just boots, these two silhouettes represent classic philosophies and ways of playing. And this time, Three Stripes has recruited two of the sport’s brightest young stars to embody that messaging.
On one side, there’s England star Jude Bellingham, the face of Predator and the modern definition of control. On the other is Spanish wunderkind Lamine Yamal, fronting the reborn F50 as coordinated madness. Together, they headline a new campaign film that frames football’s eternal choice: Do you impose order on the game, or are you an agent of chaos?
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The spot brilliantly captures that matchday tension. Bellingham moves with calm authority, dictating tempo, owning space, bending moments to his will. Yamal, by contrast, is electric. Think sudden accelerations, unpredictable angles, flashes of brilliance that feel less rehearsed and more instinctual.
Predator has always been the boot for athletes who want to feel every touch, every pass, every strike. The new Predator Elite leans fully into those qualifications while updating certain elements for contemporary performance. Its iconic fold-over tongue returns, now paired with NANOSTRIKE+ technology to deliver an instinctive fit and sharper striking precision. It’s a strategic nod to history, but not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake.
Underfoot, Adidas brings back POWERSPINE, reinforcing the midfoot to provide greater stability and a more powerful strike – ideal for those who thrive on dictating play rather than reacting to it. The STRIKEFRAME outsole introduces updated stud geometry to improve traction and rotational agility, helping pros stay composed even as the game speeds up around them.
Visually, the Predator Elite makes a statement without being too haughty. A red forefoot transitions into a white midfoot, anchored by the classic three stripes, a look that feels both modern and unmistakably Predator. It’s a boot built for midfield generals and decisive attackers alike, worn by players such as Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Pedri, Alessia Russo, and Aitana BonmatÃ, all footballers revered for shaping matches through intelligence as much as technique.
So if Predator is about mastery, then F50 is about momentum.
The F50 Elite returns with one mission: speed. Not just straight-line pace, but explosive movement in every direction. Its vibrant colorway — lucid lemon fading into white — mirrors that mindset, capturing the blur of motion that separates the fastest players in the game from others just trying to keep up.
At its core is the FIBERTOUCH upper, engineered to provide lightweight support without sacrificing feel. Combined with SPRINTWEB, the boot enhances ball control at high speeds, allowing players to stay connected to the ball even as they stretch defenses to their breaking point. The COMPRESSIONFIT tunnel tongue locks the foot in place, promising stability during rapid cuts, bursts, and sudden changes of direction.
Beneath it all, SPRINTFRAME 360 delivers acceleration in every direction, not just forward. It’s a platform built for adrenaline, for players who thrive on unpredictability and who see space not as something to occupy, but something to create. It’s no coincidence that F50 Elite will be worn by Yamal, reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, Florian Wirtz, Vicky López, Trinity Rodman, and the GOAT, Lionel Messi, athletes whose games you cannot analyze without mentioning their boldness and speed.
What makes this launch compelling isn’t just the technology or the aesthetics, but the way Adidas frames the choice. There’s no right answer. No distinct hierarchy of one over the other. Chaos and control don’t cooperate here as opposites. Instead, they’re complementary forces that coexist within the modern game. Every team needs both, and in this case, we’re not just talking about footwear.
So, what are you waiting for? Unleash your inner GOAT and grab the Predator Elite and F50 Elite now at select retailers and online.
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