Nike Faces Fierce Backlash After Shockingly Leaving Cole Palmer Out of World Cup Ad

Stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior take center stage in Nike's latest World Cup commercial, yet fans couldn't stop discussing Cole Palmer's appearance in the ad, considering the England international was excluded from Thomas Tuchel's 26-man squad.

It seems as though with every passing day leading up to June 12, another marketing campaign or advertisement is generating even greater anticipation for what promises to be the most spectacular World Cup in history. Coupled with freshly revealed shirt numbers, warm-up fixtures and confirmed rosters, excitement has never been higher heading into this summer's marquee tournament.

Nike entered the conversation on Thursday, dropping a six-minute spot titled "Rip the Script" that showcased football's elite talents alongside four-time NBA champion LeBron James, Kim Kardashian and Travis Scott.

It was all going to plan until instincts took over…

Rip The Script pic.twitter.com/la43icZaAu

Erling Haaland also featured in the ad, along with Bruno Fernandes, Nico Williams and Palmer — though the latter won't be taking part in the 2026 World Cup. The Chelsea forward, shown donning the No. 20 shirt for England in the commercial, was a shocking omission from Tuchel's squad.

The exclusion was so unexpected that Nike had evidently already completed filming, operating under the assumption that Palmer would be among those representing the Three Lions at this summer's World Cup. Yet he, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden and Harry Maguire, will be left watching the tournament from home.

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Social Media Reacts to Palmer's Bizarre Appearance in Nike Ad

The ad went viral almost instantly after its release, though perhaps not for the reasons Nike had hoped. Social media users were quick to highlight Palmer's inclusion and had no shortage of opinions on the matter.

THE NIKE WORLD CUP ADVERTISING JUST DROPPED😍😍😍

Is Cole Palmer the first ever player to feature in a World Cup advert and not actually get picked for his country?😬 pic.twitter.com/lQsHyOapSN

LMFAOO they thought Cole Palmer was going to the World Cup pic.twitter.com/aZnpL0gssH

Palmer nation….

This is now becoming a humiliation ritual https://t.co/58bzZjZL8w

The amount of companies that done campaigns with Cole Palmer for the World Cup and aren't able to use/post the content is mad.

Amongst all the big names him not being called up is probably the biggest shock.

Many supporters used the moment to voice their anger over Tuchel's decision to leave Palmer out. The German manager has faced intense criticism since announcing his contentious squad, with widespread belief that the talent he's left behind could seriously hamper England's prospects in North America this summer.

The Three Lions enter the tournament as one of the pre-competition favorites after reaching the final of Euro 2024. England are desperate to lift a major trophy for the first time since 1966, but will need to do so without several notable absentees.

a whole segment for palmer man tuchel gotta go https://t.co/nG9dooyVZE

Nike have released their ad for The World Cup… 😍

Cole Palmer the England representative… I think he should've been on the plane! 🥺 pic.twitter.com/3CFswKmHjT

Thomas Tuchel what have you done 🥲🥶 https://t.co/PqQ2pcNRl1

Some fans expressed hope that Palmer would channel the disappointment into motivation heading into next season. The 23-year-old, who battled fitness problems throughout 2025–26, managed just 11 goals and three assists across 40 appearances.

His struggles were compounded by Chelsea's turbulent campaign, which saw the club cycle through two permanent managers and endure considerable off-field turmoil, including high-profile players Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernández publicly airing their grievances and flirting with potential exits.

The Blues ultimately ended the season in 10th place in the Premier League, missing out on European competition for next season during Xabi Alonso's first campaign in charge.

Mr Cole palmer… if you ain't on smoke next season smh https://t.co/dMKeohOJlt

Palmer still representing England the motion is MAD.

Pls lock in next season darg 🙏🏾 https://t.co/EaRzjCZgVD pic.twitter.com/q81Rc4Zutr