In the wake of Argentina’s dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout victory against France at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Finals (Qatar) – one of the most memorable FIFA World Cup matches to date and already a legendary moment in football history – Lionel Messi jerseys are, unsurprisingly, completely sold out just about everywhere.
It only stands to reason there’s major demand for replicas of the official Adidas attire donned by the sport’s current GOAT. Especially considering the general consensus that Messi has effectively “completed” his legacy by securing the singular honour that has alluded him throughout his insanely decorated career; settling the longstanding debate which pitted him against rival Cristiano Ronaldo, thus sending the hype train into warp speed. Side note: the bloke also now has bragging rights vis-à-vis the most liked Instagram post of all time.
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Here’s what Adidas themselves had to say about the matter:
“Since their history-making win we have produced a range of immediately available celebratory apparel and we will also create a brand new version of their iconic jersey, featuring three stars to mark their third World Championship, for fans around the globe as soon as possible.”
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At the time of this writing, Lionel Messi jerseys have sold for anywhere between $400 and $1,700 on StockX, with even higher asking prices on slightly less regulated online marketplaces such as eBay and so forth. While certain third-party retail sites may provide you the option to cop for a considerably more reasonable $124.99, backorders currently run all the way until April 2023 on the likes of World Soccer Shop.
According to CNN, the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been something of a boon for Adidas’ bottom line. The company has reportedly sold approximately US$424 million (AU$633.8 million) in “event-related sales” during the fourth quarter alone, with its football merchandise growing by 30% across the first nine months in 2022 compared to the year prior. Additionally, Adidas has stated it’s also seen “stronger demand” during this edition of the World Cup compared to the previous 2018 tournament hosted in Russia.
