Soccer jerseys! Who doesn’t have one? Olivia Rodrigo partnered with Spotify for a now sold-out throwback FC Barcelona jersey stamped with her bubbly monogram over the red and blue vertical stripes. The Gap has two limited-edition summer collections featuring jerseys inspired by “football culture,” while Nike has two collections of Latin American-themed “statement” jerseys “rooted in the culture and emotion of the game.”
Also some people are wearing jerseys to play soccer in stadiums.
Many of these proliferating jerseys are not meant to be replicas of the game gear worn by favorite athletes. Instead, their designs either nod to official team jerseys or do something else entirely. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, to commemorate the city’s involvement in the World Cup, oversaw the release of retro-look striped New York jerseys — originally priced at $50 in an affordability initiative, but now listed on the luxury resale site Grailed for more than $1,000.
In lieu of a team badge, the jerseys in Mamdani’s municipal merch drop feature a soccer ball emblem. This World Cup summer, soccer is not just a team sport but a style, as jerseys have made the leap from die-hard fans to people aiming to look cool.
