Outnow
May 27, 2026
“The Socceritos”, the title of the short film that returns Terence Hill to the Western and to shoot in Almería to promote a supermarket on the occasion of the World Cup.
Last summer Terence Hill was filming in Fort Bravo and the Tabernas desert. It was speculated that it was a new installment of the Trinidad series, but nothing could be further from the truth, it is a short film of a commercial brand that will promote the World Cup.
On the occasion of the World Cup to be held in June 2026, the DENNER chain, which is dedicated to the world of discount supermarket, has created a promotion that includes a short film, in which Terence Hill has a leading role alongside the players of the Swiss national team Granit Xhaka and Zeki Amdouni. They are also accompanied by the also soccer player Ana Maria Marković who, although Swiss, currently plays in the U.S.A.
“The Socceritos”, a western short film shot in Almería.
The promotion includes animations on all known social platforms, and contests, for the DENNER network, "The Socceritos is action, heart and humor and is about true pioneers who brought football to the Wild West, as Denner brought the discount to Switzerland."
The project also includes a soundtrack of about thirteen songs and includes one in Spanish with the title "The Socceritos", which you can find at the end of the short film.
The short film that you can see at the end of the text has been directed by Reto Salimbeni, Swiss by birth and who in addition to shooting several films, his career has led him to film more than 800 commercials with different brands.
As several languages are spoken in Switzerland, this production has been translated into French, German and Italian.
Football should unite people, bring joy, and, not least, celebrate those who can masterfully handle the ball. At least, that is the opinion of the “The Socceritos”, who, led by Terence (Terence Hill), are travelling through the Wild West with their football show. The two ball virtuosos Granit (Granit Xhaka) and Zeki (Zeki Amdouni) provide excitement and great fun with their juggling skills. Currently, they manage to keep the ball in the air a hundred times between themselves.
Now, however, they have arrived in a small town where the Sheriff (Daniel Swain) has no love for football. He does not want this nonsense in the town and informs the arriving ball artists accordingly. To make the whole thing a bit more exciting, a bet is therefore devised. If Zeki and Granit manage to juggle the ball between themselves a hundred times, the Sheriff's reign will end. The fact that the footballers can count on support (Anna Maria Markovic) is certainly a plus, as the Sheriff's henchmen are trying everything to ensure the ball touches the ground as quickly as possible.
When footballers act, the result is rarely anything good. However, “The Socceritos” stages Xhaka and Amdouni in such a way that it makes sense, and you are surprised by the screen presence of the two. Combined with Terence Hill, who is still fit and likeable even at almost 90 years old, this makes for a squad you would have happily watched for even longer. Filmed on behalf of a major Swiss retailer, this short film turns out to be highly enjoyable entertainment. Mission accomplished!
In the long career of Terence Hill, who famously shot numerous films with his pal Bud Spencer in the 1960s, 1970s, and also 1980s, thereby becoming a cult star, Wild West settings are not a rarity. For the new short film “The Socceritos”, which has a runtime of barely 16 minutes, his co-stars are somewhat different, however. Instead of trained actors, he shares the screen with football stars like Zeki Amdouni and Granit Xhaka. But he proves even in his advanced age that he remains undisputed when it comes to scoffing beans and dealing out slaps.
Reto Salimbeni, who shot One Way with Til Schweiger in 2006, not only wrote the screenplay for The Socceritos, but also took on the directing duties. He takes us into the Wild West in an amusing way, initially placing his superstar squarely in the spotlight. The two footballers, who are joined by Anna Maria Markovic over the course of the film, have their peak moments later on and do surprisingly well.
That the story moves efficiently during its short runtime and isn't particularly sophisticated was fully to be expected. In “The Socceritos”, however, it is primarily about having fun and peering over the stars' shoulders as they playfully juggle the ball. This works wonderfully and leaves the filmmakers plenty of opportunities to celebrate this juggling in a humorous way. The fact that the bad guys try everything to stop the ball from staying in the air provides a fair few chuckles.
The Socceritos – International title
A 2025 Swiss, Spanish film co-production [Denner
(Zurich), Fort Bravo (Almeria)]
Producers: Shannon Mildon, Reto Salimbeni Michelle
Bucher, Jonas Hendrix, Dani
Ojeda, Claudio
Ruben, Terry Gallagher
Director: Reto Salimbeni
Story: Reto Salimbeni
Screenplay: Reto Salimbeni
Cinematography: Damian Garcia [color]
Music: Brahm Wenger, Pascal Münger
Running time: 16 minutes
Cast:
Terence - Terence Hill
Granit - Granit Xhaka
Zeki - Zeki Amdouni
EmilyAbril Garcia
Stark - Daniel Swain
Ana - Ana Maria Marković
John Hutchins
Referee – Lidia Gallego
Earl – Daniel Hernandez
Bandits – Rafael Apricio, Alexander Romero, Ricardo Cruz,
Antonio Aaron Leon Perez, José Manuel López, Marcus Zölch
Patron – Nahuel Castañeda
Commentator – Ricardo Mena
Stunt coordinator: César Solar
Stunts: Amado Danoz Rua, Pablo Quirante, Andrés Ramón Samtiago, Katarzyna Elbieta, Borja Godoy, Marouanes Sennouni, Juan Carlos Fernandes, Daniel Llopis, Miguel Arranz, Eduardo Cruz
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