Don’t look, because there aren’t any. Leo Messi’s Argentina jersey is sold out worldwide. Whether in Buenos Aires, Madrid, Doha, Tokyo… Adidas stores have run out of stock of the jersey with the No.10 and the name of the captain of the Argentina national team.
It doesn’t matter the size, from the smallest to the biggest, for men or women. They are out of stock. The World Cup in Qatar and Argentina’s march to the final has boosted sales of a jersey that was already one of the most sought after and appreciated worldwide.
Argentina have long been the jewel in Adidas’ crown when it comes to quantifying its business. There is no other national team that wears the German brand that has the same worldwide impact.
This shortage has triggered the production and sales of counterfeits. The AFA, harassed by complaints, came out a few days ago: “We can’t do anything about it, although it’s in our interest to sell more. It is a matter of Adidas and there are problems in the country that affect them, such as the obstacles to imports and the lack of manpower, as well as the high level of public anger.”
Adidas explains that it is impossible to increase production overnight to replenish a product that it knew would do very well, but not as well as this worldwide collapse in stores and online sales.
The German brand is working against the clock so that, in the event that Argentina wins the World Cup on Sunday, the Argentina kit and Messi’s kit will be available in most parts of the world as soon as possible. In addition, shirts are being prepared for the possible celebration and something more personalized in the figure of Messi in case wins the World Cup.
The ‘Messi phenomenon’ is such that the phrase “What are you looking at, you fool?” that he said to Wout Weghorst after the Argentina-Netherlands quarter-final has become a universal business for t-shirts, mugs, sweatshirts, backpacks and doormats.
By MIGUEL ÁNGEL LARA, Adapted by SAM
