Lionel Messi number 10 t-shirts in Argentina's colors were “out of stock,” the website of kit-maker Adidas, the official sponsor of the Argentinian soccer team at the FIFA World Cup 2022, recently read.
After the 35-year-old forward brought his outfit to a 4-2 victory on penalties against France, Messi-mania has been sweeping the globe. Accordingly, official merchandise featuring the iconic player has been selling like hot cakes. Other sites, such as Amazon, similarly appeared to be running out of Messi jerseys after he scored twice during the final at Qatar's Lusail Stadium on December 18.
T-shirts sporting Messi's image as forward for French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) were reportedly still available.
"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," a statement by Adidas added.
The German manufacturer of sporting apparel has been basking in boosted sales, reportedly raking in £349million in "event-related sales" in the fourth quarter of this year.
Seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, now dubbed the greatest player of all time by fans and pundits, had long hoped to claim the biggest prize in the sport — the World Cup, which had eluded him throughout his career. For Argentina, the 2022 World Cup title is its first after an excruciating dry spell since beating Germany in Mexico. The two-time world champion lifted the trophy in 1978 and 1986.