The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its business stage, with 32 out of the 48 teams qualifying for the knockout stages in North America.
Speaking of business, the off-field battle between brands is proving to be just as fierce. And at present, Adidas is winning the raise from Nike courtesy of an underdog outperforming expectations.
At a recent press conference in New York, Adidas CEO Björn Gulden announced that their three best-selling jerseys for the tournament have been Mexico, Argentina, and Germany. The trio is topping the charts amongst the 14 teams Adidas have kitted for the tournament, which also includes the likes of Spain, Belgium, and Curacao.
Each of the three leading jerseys are projected to have sold over three million units already, an unprecedented feat for the German sports merchandise powerhouse. However, quite surprisingly, it is Mexico that is topping the charts over the two footballing giants.
Mexico’s vibrant green kit with graphics depicting the Aztec Sun Stone is a nod to what they wore in the 1998 edition. The shirt was widely acclaimed for its aesthetics even before the tournament began, akin to the hype that had surrounded the original version.
Now, their on-field success has only fueled the demand even further. The number of jerseys sold is set to increase manifold the further the co-hosts progress in the tournament.
El Tri were just one of three teams apart from Argentina and France to win all their group stage games. Not only did they cruise past South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia, Mexico also racked up three clean sheets while scoring six goals in aggregate.
The huge number of Mexican jersey sales is also a staunch indicator of their strong footballing culture. The country takes immense pride in their footballing team, with the sport being by far their most popular pastime. People in Mexico also tend to have a proclivity for showing up in spectacular ways, the Mexican wave being a cornerstone of the same.
The positive results has led to fans finding it difficult to get their hands on the Mexican jersey at present. Users have uploaded screenshots of the Adidas website on social media showing the jersey as sold out.
However, it is only a matter of time before Adidas rack up their stocks. The retailers had recently also faced issues with the German replica kits due to a shortage of the letter V. Nevertheless, Gulden assured earlier in the week they had moved quickly to sort out the logistical problem and the jerseys are back on sale.
With Die Mannschaft now already eliminated from the tournament, perhaps Adidas’ focus will shift even further on the Mexican kits. They will undoubtedly be rooting for the side to make it past Ecuador when the two take each other on in the Round of 32 fixture at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday.
