The surprising number of Lionel Messi shirts Adidas makes for every Argentina game – and the reason behind it
The streets of Buenos Aires will be buzzing with fans wearing Lionel Messi shirts as they cheer on their captain, hoping he can make history. If Argentina wins, they’ll become only the third team ever to win back-to-back World Cups, joining Italy in 1938 and Brazil in 1962.
Messi is about to play in his third World Cup final, facing Spain at the New York-New Jersey Stadium. This is a huge chance for the Barcelona legend to surpass the famous Diego Maradona in World Cup wins. If the 39-year-old leads Argentina to victory, many would say it’s his greatest achievement. No doubt Messi would want to keep the jersey he wears in the final as a special keepsake. But plenty of others would love to get their hands on that shirt too!
Messi is considered one of the best players ever, and opponents would jump at the chance to own a jersey with his name on it. Emi Martinez, Argentina’s goalkeeper, shared with Ben Foster on Prime Video that they actually have around 200 Messi shirts made every game to share with players and staff who want one.
Martinez said, “Every time I join the national team, players ask, ‘Please give me a Messi shirt.’ Everyone wants one. I asked the kitman how many Messi shirts they prepare per game, and he said 200 to 300. For two international games, they made 650 shirts! Because everyone—sponsors, players, staff, even managers—wants a Messi shirt.”
Ben Foster was surprised to hear this, thinking Messi shirts were rare. But it seems almost everyone involved with teams playing Argentina ends up with one. If Spain loses the final, it will be interesting to see if their players and coaches want a Messi shirt, especially if Messi plays a big role in their defeat.