Cape Verde’s strong start to the World Cup—including a scoreless draw with tournament co-favorite Spain, perhaps the most shocking result of the tournament so far—has sparked a licensing battle over who can sell uniforms from the Cinderella story.
Fans looking to join in on the team’s viral success can purchase $95 uniforms from Capelli Sport, the team’s official jersey provider. But in the days after Cape Verde drew Spain, a different company began advertising Blue Sharks jerseys on social media. That company, Tempo, was the team’s jersey supplier prior to Capelli, and it is selling $39 uniforms in the design that the Blue Sharks wore in their African qualifying campaign.
Last week, Capelli sent Tempo a cease-and-desist letter, according to someone familiar with the plans. The letter demanded that Tempo stop infringing on Capelli’s exclusive rights, said the person, who was granted anonymity because the details are private.
“Capelli Sport made a long-term commitment to the Cabo Verde FA well before the team’s historic World Cup run, investing in the federation and supporting its ambitions on and off the field,” the company said in a statement. “As the official technical partner, we believe the commercial value generated by this success should help strengthen the Federation, support its players and contribute to the future growth of soccer in Cabo Verde.”
