(Reuters) – As Lionel Messi dreams of getting his hands on a maiden World Cup trophy in Qatar, his fans struggle to get theirs on jerseys of the Argentina team as sportswear giant Adidas grapples with a global shortage of stock due to the extraordinary demand.
Ahead of Argentina’s World Cup final against France on Sunday, German sportswear maker Adidas said the high demand for Argentine kits and knockoffs making their way into local markets has prompted them to explore plans to boost their production ahead of what could be a massive celebration.
“Due to extraordinary demand for the Adidas Argentina World Cup jerseys across the globe, we have very low stock in some countries,” a spokesperson for the brand told Reuters.
“We are working to get more jerseys to fans so they can celebrate an incredible journey for the national team.”
Argentina was the only Adidas-sponsored team to advance beyond the last 16 at the tournament in Qatar. Yet the company is experiencing higher demand compared to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, according to the spokesperson, who added that its football sales have grown by 30% this year.
Earlier this month, Adidas reported that the brand would stick to its sales outlook for the tournament – 400 million euros ($424.12 million)- despite Germany’s shock exit in the group stage and having only three of its seven sponsored teams in knockout stages.
($1 = 0.9431 euros)
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
