The Rise of Fake Football Jerseys Around the World

In recent years, there has been a surge in the purchase and sale of imitation sportswear, mainly originating from China and Thailand.

The New York Times conducted a nine-month study across 15 countries to measure the popularity of this phenomenon and the factors driving it.

Seventy-eight percent of nearly 800 respondents said they had knowingly bought a replica jersey at some point. When asked if they would buy one again or for the first time, 66% said yes, while another 13% were unsure.

The main reason for these purchases is the high price of official gear. A Premier League jersey, for example, costs an average of £85, while replicas start at just £8. Among those who admitted to buying a replica, 84% said the price difference was the deciding factor.

Another part of the survey looked into the concerns people might have when buying a fake shirt, ranging from potential credit card data theft to labor rights issues for the workers producing them. Forty-two percent of respondents said they had no concerns at all when buying such items online.