Sports Direct has launched its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a celebration of football nostalgia, shared memory and the retro shirts that have become part of the culture of the global game.
The new campaign, titled When Football Was Football, is built around the emotions and traditions that have carried the World Cup across generations, from families gathering around the television to pub debates, playground re-enactments and the pride attached to pulling on the shirt of a favourite team.
The World Cup may not feature Ireland in 2026, but that perhaps makes the appeal of nostalgia even stronger. Without a current Irish team to get behind, supporters here will be looking for a team to hang their hat on.
From Italia ’90 and the penalty shoot-out win over Romania, to Ray Houghton’s goal against Italy at Giants Stadium in 1994, the World Cup has long been wrapped into the fabric of Irish sporting culture.
Sports Direct is leaning into that sense of shared history through its partnership with Score Draw, positioning itself as a destination for affordable retro football shirts. The collection celebrates heritage kits and classic designs from football’s most memorable eras, tapping into the growing demand for shirts that carry both sporting and cultural meaning.
It gives supporters a way to connect with the World Cup through memory, culture and identity, even when the boys in green are not on the pitch.
The campaign creative is fronted by sports personality Steve Bracknall and set on a football street designed to reflect the communities, personalities and places connected by a love of the game.
He is joined in the campaign by a cast drawn from football and fan culture, including Ally McCoist, David Bentley, Adebayo Akinfenwa, Olivia Buzaglo, John Hemmingham, Andy Milne, Natalie Pike, Loose and Freda Ayy.
A Sports Direct spokesperson said the campaign was designed to connect the past with the present.
“When Football Was Football is a celebration of the traditions, personalities, and shirts that made fans fall in love with the game, while connecting that nostalgia to a new generation,” they said.
“As the home of retro football shirts, this campaign firmly positions Sports Direct at the centre of football culture throughout the tournament.”
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be the biggest edition of the tournament yet, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, Sports Direct is looking to place itself at the centre of the fan experience by combining product, memory and football culture.
We will be dipping into various World Cup campaigns throughout the tournament.
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Image Credit: Sports Direct
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