The sportswear giants were not ready for the relentless pace of purchases during the World Cup. According to Footy Headlines, Adidas and Nike, the main suppliers of equipment for the national teams participating in the tournament, did not produce as many jerseys as expected.
Both Adidas and Nike are facing significant shortages of national team kits for the 2026 World Cup in their online stores, struggling to meet the high demand from fans.
Nike is experiencing major stock issues with kits from important federations such as the United States men’s national team and the Brazilian national team, with both authentic and replica shirts virtually unavailable in adult sizes.
Similarly, Adidas is facing comparable retail challenges, with authentic Mexico kits and jerseys from smaller national teams, such as Curaçao, nearly sold out before the end of the tournament’s second round.
The most important federations in the Americas, in particular, are seeing their kits sell out rapidly, as supporters rush to secure official tournament merchandise. The situation is similar for Brazil.
Surprisingly, Douglas Santos, Rayan, and Alex Sandro were the Brazilian players whose jerseys sold the most during the opening stages of the competition. Just over two weeks ago, Nike’s stock was completely depleted due to overwhelming demand, which fueled the search for unauthorized replicas, the famous “Thai jerseys.”
And with just over 30 days remaining until the end of the World Cup, demand has not slowed down. Fans from all over the world have scoured the market in search of jerseys to experience the World Cup properly. And the two biggest brands in the industry have shown significant unpreparedness…
