Lionel Messi has brought on a storm with his arrival at the MLS. The Argentine superstar has registered record-breaking shirt sales since his arrival at Inter Miami. However, with Adidas failing to meet the demands that grow every passing day, counterfeiters have found their opportunity.
While Adidas has listed the official Inter Miami jersey for $120 on their official website. Some counterfeiters have started to take advantage of the massive demand, selling jerseys for less than $20. It will interesting to be see if Adidas decides to take action in the coming days, but it seems like fans have wasted no time in acquiring merchandise even if it’s fake.
Counterfeiters cash in on the jersey demands of Lionel Messi
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Following Adidas’ failure to meet the demands, counterfeiters across the world have stepped up to the play. Sites such as Etsy and AliExpress have listed Lionel Messi’s #10 jersey for less than $20, which could be an enormous loss for Adidas.
Ed Serano alongside co-host Pieter Brown talking during their show on Futbol Miami TV spoke of the rapid emergence of fakes in the market as per World Soccer Talk, as counterfeiters continue to mass-produce merchandise.
“[A person] was telling me that in Ecuador, you can get the Inter Miami jersey — [it] looks like the same one — for ten bucks. [The counterfeiters] are selling them like hotcakes. Those were going for twenty bucks. There are even scarves, too [being sold].”
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While the demands continue to rise, Adidas issued an official statement this week calling the demands truly unprecedented, as fans have been told to wait till mid-October for deliveries.
Lionel Messi’s arrival in the United States brings new waves of profit
Following Lionel Messi’s arrival in the United States, organizations affiliated have seen an influential profit. Adidas, AppleTv, and MLS have seen vast growth since Messi’s debuts and the numbers continue to rise.
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Messi’s move to Inter Miami has been nothing short of phenomenal, with the club almost quadrupling its fan following since La Pulga’s debut. With the Messi-mania just kicking in, it will be interesting to see the lengths fans go to just to get a glimpse of the Argentine great.
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