The top 10 soccer ads

Nike came out with another brilliant soccer ad today [Spencer Hall, SB Nation]. Check it out:



This got me thinking about the long history of tremendous soccer commercials. There have been plenty of them, and this looks sure to find its place on that list. What better way to celebrate that than with my personal top 10? Here they are, for your enjoyment:

Bonus: Nike: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Bugatti Veyron

This couldn't quite crack the Top 10, as it doesn't actually involve any soccer, but it's still pretty cool. The Bugatti is probably a better player than Ronaldo's former teammate Juan Sebastian Veron, for what that's worth.



10. adidas: Jose + 10

This adidas commercial from the 2006 World Cup is pretty awesome. Great lineup of players for a pickup game, including Oliver Kahn, Kaka, Michael Ballack, Zinedane Zidane and best of all, a young version of Franz Beckenbauer.



9. Pepsi: Surfing

It appears an impressive lineup of players from Ronaldinho to Thierry Henry have traveled to the island from Lost. Instead of fighting a smoke monster, though, they're playing soccer while surfing. Do you really need any other motivation to watch this?



8. Nike: Airport soccer

Do you hate waiting in airports? The Brazilian national team sure does. They've found a way to make their own entertainment, though.



7. Pepsi: Foosball

David Beckham and Manchester United take on Edgar Davids and Juventus—in a foosball game.



6. Adidas: High Beams

Raul, Michael Ballack, Kaka and David Beckham playing soccer on elevated steel girders against some odd army? Sounds good to me.



5. Pepsi: Old West

David Beckham and Manchester United face off against Iker Casillas and Real Madrid - in an Old West shootout? This has potential. The wanted poster for Rivaldo (1:21) is a nice touch. Who walks into a saloon and orders Pepsi, though?



4. Nike: The Next Level:

This ad, directed by Madonna's husband Guy Ritchie, and featuring a first-person look at what it would be like to rise through the ranks and play for Arsenal and the Dutch against the likes of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo, is pretty awesome. Great concept.



3. Nike: Museum heist:



Edgar Davids and a team of elite footballers go all Ocean's Eleven on us with a museum heist of a "rounder" ball, but they appear to have run into Craig Ferguson's robot skeleton army.

2. Nike: Good vs. Evil:

Eric Cantona, Paulo Maldini, Ronaldo, Rui Costa, Luis Figo and a team of all-stars take on an army of devils in an infernal stadium of fire? Uh, yes please. Also, any commercial that gives Cantona the ability to shoot fireballs is just fine with me.



And my favourite soccer commercial of all time?

1. Nike: The Cage:

A secret tournament, on a boat, featuring 3-on-3 soccer cage matches between the best players in the world? That's pretty tough to top, and that's why this one remains my favourite. Tune in for six minutes of greatness in the full version below.