The World Cup in Australia and New Zealand has aroused great expectations all over the planet. There are many countries that are registering record audiences in the broadcasts of the matches and the stadiums are also filling up throughout the ten venues spread over the two countries that host the tournament. Figures that will continue to grow now that we are entering the final phase of the tournament.
The visibility that the soccer players are having has also triggered the sale of shirts around the world. The multinational Adidas has recognized that it is experiencing a much higher demand than it had anticipated and that it is having to double its efforts to replace products related to the World Cup that is taking place this summer in Australia and New Zealand.
The executive director of the company, Bjorn Gulden, explained it this Thursday: “The demand has been greater than we expected, so we are reproducing and restocking some of the kits.” Adidas dresses ten of the 32 teams participating in the tournament, including the Spanish team. In addition, they also wear Adidas, Argentina, Colombia, Japan, Germany, Sweden, the Philippines, Costa Rica and Italy.
The German sportswear giant has come under fire in recent weeks for not making women’s team jerseys available in men’s sizes. It has not been the only brand that has been questioned for its policy regarding the sale of these products. Mary Earps herself, the England goalkeeper, publicly protested because Nike had not put a replica of the Lionesses’ goalkeeper shirt on sale, when it does with the men’s team.
Gulden said the industry is in the process of adapting to a market that is changing as women’s sports gain popularity and admitted the mistakes that have been made. “It’s a learning curve that, to be honest, I think all brands are having because this hasn’t been seen before,” he said, referring to the record audience numbers for this year’s tournament.
