Top 10 Football Advertisements of All Time

Although football can get extremely serious, with manager-bashing and player-insulting, we often forget why we all follow the sport in the first place: passion for the game, and joy at watching our clubs play.

So, in the midst of a very active, gossipy, rumour-filled 2011 summer transfer window, times call for an article like this one. 

Nothing brings happiness back to football like a clever advert, whether it's promoting the World Cup or just a new pair of Nike boots. The best adverts just make all football fanatics smile.

So, without further ado, here are the top 10 football adverts of all time...

10. Nike Ronaldinho Crossbar Advert

The best footballer in the world at the time, Ronaldinho shows his skills in this video by repeatedly volleying the football against the crossbar from a distance, using his accuracy and control to keep the ball off of the ground the entire time. The Brazilian international was advertising a new pair of Nike boots, doing it pretty dang well.

Although the video was fake (some parts were edited with computer generated images), it went viral, and was actually the first video on YouTube to reach one million views. Come on, who doesn't want to watch Ronaldinho kick around a football for three minutes?

9. Thierry Henry Nike Advert

Although it doesn't really promote anything besides Nike itself, this advert shows Thierry Henry doing incredible tricks to keep the ball away from rival player "burglars" in his own luxury house.

Some of the tricks he does are ones that I haven't even seen before, like the one at 0:13, and a really cool one at 0:17, even though he hits a photograph of him and Arsene Wenger.

Yet another advert that's just pleasing to the eye, because there's nothing wrong with watching Henry maneuver around defenders and expensive furniture.

8. Pepsi Manchester United vs Real Madrid Western

The best word to describe this advert is epic. Whether it's the Western setting or the prospect of Manchester United and Real Madrid facing off, "epic" just seems very fitting. 

Because the advert promotes Pepsi, it means that both Nike and Adidas shirts are present in the video, which brings about the question that's been asked by football fans since the beginning of time–which is better? Unfortunately, that question won't be answered by me in this article, and I don't think it ever will be answered by anyone.

Overall, great advert, especially getting to see Beckham take a shot on Casillas (even though he gets his horse to do it for him).

 

7. Pepsi Advert with Drogba, Kaka, Messi, and Arshavin

A funny advert with the world's best players trying to score against a young African goalkeeper. They start out going easy on him, but once they discover that he's actually quite good, they cannot seem to get the ball past him despite their hardest efforts. 

It's funny seeing a player like Arshavin up there with the likes of Drogba, Kaka, and Messi; maybe Pepsi couldn't get Ronaldo!

6. Nike Brazilian National Team Airport Advert

If anyone ever asks you to describe the Brazilian National Football Team to them, simply show them this video. It shows everything about Brazilian players: their flair, improvisation and their creativity on the ball.

Promoting the 1998 World Cup, this advert features most of the Brazilian team, at first sitting around an airport and bored to death. But when Ronaldo breaks out a football, his compatriots take no time to understand what's going on. 

Ronaldo is the star of the show, avoiding both security and his fellow teammates with a series of impressive tricks and skills. But in the last seconds of the commercial, he attempts to score between two poles, and of course, hits the "post."

Overall, this advert is simply a minute and thirty seconds of pure fun.

5. Nike Secret Tournament

Who doesn't want to watch a 3 vs. 3 folden goal tournament featuring the 24 best players in the world held in a cage on a ship and narrated by Eric Cantona?

Only God knows.

So what are you waiting for? You've got six minutes and 12 seconds of the best football you'll ever see! 

4. Nike Write the Future

Even for those who've seen this advert a million and one times, I'd recommend watching it for a million and second time.

The style in which the video is done is simply brilliant, with every moment in each game reflected in pop culture and the player's life, as well as all of the supporters having their own reaction.

The way Nike harmlessly mocks the football world and the lengths that fans go in order to show support for their team is hilarious, and ensues a video that pretty much wraps up what football is like today. 

I couldn't think of a better way to get the world pumped up for the 2010 World Cup than this video.

3. Nike Good vs Evil

This advert is simply a classic. Promoting the 1996 Euro Cup, it features the world's best players up against a bunch of devils and demons in a menacing colosseum. 

The demons play a lot like Stoke City, so the "good guys" start off their match getting battered and bruise. However, an audacious slide tackle from Paolo Maldini sparks the "good guys" rebellion, as they start to obtain more possession with their quick passes and beautiful skill moves.

Eric Cantona finishes it off with the all too cliche line of "au revoir," before propping his collar and scoring against the demon goalkeeper, at the same time obliterating him to bits. However, it's Maldini who gets the best line of the advert with "maybe they're friendly..." Classic.

2. Adidas Jose +10

In general, Nike pretty much dominates the football advertising world, all except for this little gem from Adidas. The idea of it is simply brilliant: two Spanish kids having a scrimmage, picking their all time favourite squads to face off in an epic match of football.

The best is when humour comes in, like Jermain Defoe playing in goal, or one of the kids laughing when the other one picks Beckenbauer, and then the legend casually strolls in. The look on the kid and players faces are priceless.

This advert never gets old, you could watch it over and over again...

1. Nike Take It to the Next Level

This is the ultimate football advert, period.

"Take It to the Next Level" brings the viewer through the life of the "average" professional footballer, from playing at a small club, to getting scouted and signed for Arsenal, to playing internationally for Netherlands.

The way that this advert gives us football fanatics a peek at what it's like to be a professional footballer is brilliant. It makes the pros seem "mortal" (note the sarcasm), as the viewer gets a look at their family life and their transition from a regular person to a mega rich superstar. 

The thing that makes this advert so special is the POV camera angle, because it makes you really feel like you are the footballer, vomiting, getting taunted by Ronaldo, and best of all, scoring goals.

Overall, this advert is simply sensational. Props to Nike.