MAM
adidas to sponsor ITF Juniors’ Tournament
NEW DELHI: adidas India Marketing Pvt. Ltd. and the All India Tennis Association (AITA) announced the opening of the Adidas ITF Juniors’ Tournament.
The adidas ITF Juniors’ Tournament will be held from 30 January to 5 February at Delhi’s R K Khanna Stadium.
Sponsored by adidas for the third year running, the Adidas ITF Juniors’ Tournament is an AITA ranked tournament in the under 18 category.
“Tennis has always been a core focus for adidas and we are looking at aggressively promoting the game in India at three levels. First, through associations with key tennis events such as the ITF Juniors’ Tournament. Second, through the recognition of young talent through scholarship programmes such as adidas aces’. And third through the launch of high performance sportswear such as our recently launched Barricade III,” said Adidas India brand manager Sriram Darbha.
“As Sania Mirza recently proved, tennis in India holds immense potential. We believe platforms like this championship will help young Indian players make their mark on international tennis and prove that Impossible is Nothing,” he added.
Commenting on the launch, AITA secretary general and executive vice president Anil Khanna added, “We at AITA aim to cultivate young talent at the grassroots level and help India’s professional and amateur tennis players get international exposure. We hope to see Indian tennis reach new heights of success and we believe adidas, as a partner, will help our young players move in the right direction.”
The main draw will include 32 singles for girls, 32 singles for boys, 16 doubles boys’ teams and 16 doubles girls’ teams.
MAM
Lego brings Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappé, Vinicius together
Campaign clocks 314 million views ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 buzz.
MUMBAI: Four legends, one frame and not a single tackle in sight. Lego has pulled off a crossover few thought possible, uniting Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior in a single campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 only this time, they’re building dreams brick by brick.
Titled “Everyone wants a piece”, the campaign features the quartet assembling a Lego version of the World Cup trophy, before placing miniature versions of themselves atop it, a playful nod to football’s ultimate prize. Shared widely across social media, the ad carries a pointed disclaimer: it is not AI-generated, a subtle but telling signal in an era where even reality is often questioned.
The numbers tell their own story. The campaign has already crossed 314 million views on Instagram across the players’ accounts, with fans hailing it as a rare, almost nostalgic moment particularly for the reunion of Messi and Ronaldo, whose last shared campaign ahead of the 2022 World Cup became one of the platform’s most-liked posts.
Beyond the film, Lego is extending the play with exclusive, player-themed sets tied to each of the four stars, part of a broader football-led programme designed to ride the global momentum building towards 2026. The idea, as echoed by the players themselves, leans into the parallels between football and play experimentation, creativity, failure, and triumph.
Messi described the sets as a way to bring on-pitch moments into an imaginative, hands-on world, while Ronaldo called the transformation into a Lego figure a rare honour, blending sport with storytelling. Vinícius, meanwhile, struck a more personal note, recalling childhood moments of building with Lego and framing creativity as a universal language that transcends borders.
The timing is no accident. With the 2026 World Cup set to run from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and featuring an expanded 48-team format, global anticipation is already building. Argentina, led by Messi, will enter as defending champions, adding another layer of intrigue.
For Lego, the campaign does more than celebrate football, it taps into its mythology. Because when icons become figurines and rivalries turn into play, the beautiful game finds a new kind of pitch. one built, quite literally, by hand.
