TIRUPPUR: As the FIFA World Cup 2026 reaches the semi-final stage, domestic manufacturers in Tiruppur are praying for the Argentina and France teams to qualify for the final bout.
Stating that they have received 50% more orders this year compared to usual, they added that sales would pick up further if these teams qualified to the finals.
In Tiruppur, the knitwear capital, domestic production worth about `30,000 crore takes place annually. These manufacturers currently find themselves in the hold of the football world cup fever, with jersey sales skyrocketing.
A Eliyas Mohammed of Ditto Clothing said, “We sold around 3,000 jerseys during the 2022 world cup. This year, we have sold over 10,000 since the start of the tournament.
We have shipped consignments from Tiruppur to Kerala, West Bengal, and Karnataka, as well as to certain cities within Tamil Nadu, including Chennai. We are wholesalers, so we offer products at low prices. Retailers who buy from us sell them at triple the price.”
K Prabhu, a domestic manufacturer and wholesaler, said, “Usually, only the jerseys of Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo (Brazil), and Messi sell well.
However, since the start of the world cup, jerseys of Neymar and Mbappé, as well as the team jerseys of Brazil, Portugal, Argentina, France, Spain, Belgium, and Germany, are seeing demand. Cristiano Ronaldo’s jersey sells on par with those of the Argentina and France players.”
“We have received 50% more orders this year compared to the last world cup. We have shipped a larger quantity to Kerala, especially jerseys of Brazil, Argentina and Portugal. The Kerala government’s decision to allow school students to wear jerseys is also a key reason for this,” he added.
“Jersey designs change for every world cup. We receive the models a week before the matches begin. However, local buyers won’t give us enough time. This is also a challenge we face,” said X John, another domestic manufacturer.
South India Hosiery Manufacturers Association secretary R Damodharan said, “This world cup season has brought a good number of orders for manufacturers of polyester sportswear. Apart from ready-made garments, a significant amount of fabric for sportswear manufacturing has also been sent to Kerala.”