Adidas Expects Record World Cup Jersey Sales
- Manufacturer expects more than 8 million jerseys sold in 2018
- U.S., China are next frontiers in soccer as sport goes global
Photographer: Sergei Bobylev/TASS via Getty Images
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Adidas AG expects its sales of team jerseys to set a record around the World Cup in Russia this year, despite the host country being sanction-hit and several big-name contenders not qualifying.
Experts predict the absence of traditional soccer powers Italy and the Netherlands, along with the failure of the U.S. and Turkey to qualify, will hold back sales of World Cup merchandise. Adidas has said the overall financial impact from the tournament won’t match that of the Brazil edition four years ago. Still, for shirts, the most prominent seller among such gear, unit sales will outpace the 8 million Adidas sold in 2014, Chief Executive Officer Kasper Rorsted predicted.