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Nike’s “Winner Stays On” is the 2014 football advert officially titled “WINNER STAYS.” It begins as a pickup match among friends, then turns their claims to be football stars into an imagined game featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr. and other famous players. The film was announced on 26 April 2014 as part of Nike’s “Risk Everything” campaign.
What happens in the advert?
Friends meet for a park football game under “winner stays” rules: the winning side remains on the pitch. As players declare which star they are, the ordinary pickup match expands into a fantasy in which the kids become—or play alongside—their football heroes. Nike described the film as a story about young players competing with friends and imagining themselves as their idols.
The imagined match reaches a 2–2 tie. The challenge becomes “Next Goal Wins!” and the ending turns to a young player facing the decisive penalty moment. That shift back to a child’s point of view is central to the advert: its spectacle grows from the way young players picture themselves in a game with friends.
Who appears in “Winner Stays”?
Footballers
Nike’s release names Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Eden Hazard, Gonzalo Higuaín, Andrea Pirlo, Gerard Piqué, Andrés Iniesta, Mario Götze, Thiago Silva, Thibaut Courtois, Tim Howard and David Luiz.
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Special guests
The release also names basketball player Kobe Bryant, fighters Jon Jones and Anderson Silva, model Irina Shayk, and the Incredible Hulk. These guest appearances sit alongside the footballers in the advert’s deliberately larger-than-life imagined match.
When was it released, and who made it?
Nike announced “WINNER STAYS” on 26 April 2014 as the second film in its 2014 “Risk Everything” football campaign. Creative director Sezay Altinok’s portfolio describes it as phase two of Nike’s global 2014 World Cup campaign and credits Wieden+Kennedy Portland as agency, Ringan Ledwidge as director, and Eagles of Death Metal for the music. The portfolio also lists Jeff Salomonsson as copywriter and Altinok as art director; these are portfolio credits, not a complete crew list. See the creative director’s portfolio credits.
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TIME published a contemporary video page on 30 May 2014, describing the kids transforming into football stars. TIME’s 2014 page offers a period editorial account of the advert.
What boots does Ronaldo wear?
Nike’s campaign announcement says Ronaldo reveals a new Mercurial Superfly in the film. It also mentions a player boasting about a Magista that has not yet been released at that point in the story. Those are references to 2014 product appearances: the advert does not establish that a current Mercurial Superfly or Magista listing is the same version, or that either 2014 model is currently available.
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What song is in the advert?
The creative director’s portfolio credits Eagles of Death Metal for the music. The cited campaign announcement and contemporary TIME page do not identify a specific track title, so the available credits establish the artist but not the song name.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the advert became memorable
Rather than present the match as a straightforward exhibition of famous players, the film makes the kids’ game its starting point. The stars arrive through the players’ own imagination, and the final penalty returns attention to a young player rather than leaving the climax solely to the celebrity cast. That structure connects the campaign’s football spectacle to the everyday ritual the film depicts: friends competing, choosing their heroes, and taking on those identities for a game.
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Nike CMO Davide Grasso’s statement in the company’s Japanese release similarly describes young players competing with friends, playing alongside their idols, or imagining themselves as those players. This is a paraphrase of the statement, not a verified published English translation. Read Nike Japan’s 26 April 2014 announcement (in Japanese).
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