Nike and Adidas bet big on World Cup football shirts and merch

Adidas, Nike and Puma have invested more than ever into marketing and outfitting some of the players

England's Alessia Russo celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the FIFA Women's World Cup semi-final match at Stadium Australia, Sydney. Picture date: Wednesday August 16, 2023.

When England and Spain meet in the World Cup final on Sunday, millions of football fans will be glued to their televisions. Many will gamble on the outcome. But for companies like Nike and Adidas, there’s a whole other bet playing out: whether they made enough merchandise to satisfy the euphoric demand from fans of the winning team.

The companies decided months ago how many replica and authentic jerseys to manufacture for each of the women’s teams. Those decisions were based on a combination of historical shopping patterns for each country, conversations with retail partners and a fair bit of conjecture. Getting the picture wrong can have real consequences — both in terms of lost sales and angered fans.