Following the soccer star’s first-ever FIFA World Cup victory, fans hoping to purchase his official Argentina jersey may be out of luck.
Adidas announced in a statement to CNN that it has been “working to meet the extraordinary demand for jerseys” and that “more stock will be available soon” after selling out of Messi and Argentina team uniforms globally.
On Sunday, in one of the most exciting finals in tournament history, Argentina defeated France to win the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on penalties. Messi, who was competing in his fifth World Cup, scored twice to solidify his status as a football legend.
Messi’s Adidas jerseys had been sold out even before the game, according to multiple reports. A search on Adidas’ website shows that generic Argentina jerseys are sold out, but there some other team items still available, including a basketball top and T-shirts.
Searches for Messi Argentina jerseys on Amazon also show them sold out. StockX, a popular reseller website, has a few jerseys selling for as much as $500. Messi jerseys from Paris Saint-Germain, his European club, are wildly available online, however.
Don’t fret though, Adidas (ADDDF) said it will soon unveil new merchandise.
“Since their history-making win we have produced a range of immediately available celebratory apparel and we will also create a brand new version of their iconic jersey, featuring three stars to mark their third World Championship, for fans around the globe as soon as possible,” the company said.
The World Cup has been a boon for Adidas’ bottom line. Adidas has sold around $424 million (€400 million) in “event-related sales” in the fourth quarter, with its soccer merchandise growing by 30% in the first nine months in 2022 compared to the year prior. Adidas said it’s also “seeing stronger demand” during this edition of the World Cup compared to the previous tournament.
Source: CNN