Adidas World Cup Ad Sparks Controversy and Renovates Court in Llefià. In Badalona, the filming of an Adidas commercial for the World Cup led to the renovation of a street sports court, but stirred discontent among local residents. Locals were excluded from the process and faced restrictions. The conflict over management of the court escalated.
In Badalona, the filming of a large-scale Adidas commercial for the World Cup had unexpected consequences for residents of the Llefià neighborhood. The open football field known as the 'pista verde' became the main location for a shoot featuring global football and cinema stars, but local residents were excluded from the process and faced considerable inconveniences.
The pitch, surrounded by residential buildings and managed by the neighborhood association, was closed for two weeks for the shoot. According to residents, they were not informed about the details of the project, and teenagers were even deliberately misled to prevent them from accessing the filming crew. As a result, no one from the community saw Lamine Yamal or any other celebrities at the site. Many are convinced that most scenes featuring famous athletes and performers were created using digital technology.
Adidas emphasizes that the project's goal was to demonstrate how football unites people — from local playgrounds to major stadiums, and claims that filming did not inconvenience residents. However, for an area with dense housing and limited parking, street closures became a serious problem. Locals note they were not invited even as extras, and the process itself took place in an atmosphere of exclusion.
After filming was completed, the neighbors' association reached an agreement with the production company to renovate the site: fences, lighting, and the surface were updated. However, some residents are demanding greater transparency in the management and allocation of funds received from renting out the site for commercial projects. Representatives of the owners of 18 buildings, to whom the land belongs, insist on a review of the terms of the site’s transfer to the association, arguing that the income should benefit the entire neighborhood, not only individual projects.
The venue in Llefià has long attracted producers and brands: music videos and commercials for international companies and well-known artists have been filmed here. The new Adidas project has put the district in the spotlight, although many viewers may not realize that the action takes place not in New York, but in Badalona. According to RUSSPAIN, such cases, when local sites become the stage for major shoots, often spark debates about the distribution of benefits and the involvement of local residents. Similar conflicts over the use of public spaces for commercial purposes are being discussed in other parts of Spain as well, as was the case at Madrid's Las Ventas arena, where a recent bullfighter's performance provoked a strong public reaction (details about the situation at Las Ventas).
In the end, the neighborhood association announced its intention to temporarily halt new filming to allow local youth to use the renovated space. The question of future management and revenue distribution remains unresolved, and the situation in Llefià illustrates how commercial projects can fuel longstanding disputes and alter the everyday life of urban neighborhoods.
