Football Sportswear Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Football Sportswear Market is projected to expand from USD 92.75 Billion in 2025 to USD 129.79 Billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 5.76%. This sector encompasses the design, manufacturing, and retail of specialized clothing and footwear for association football, covering items such as match jerseys, training kits, cleats, and protective gear. Key factors driving this growth include the sport's unmatched global popularity and the escalating commercialization of professional leagues, which necessitates rapid product cycles and extensive merchandising. Additionally, the systematic rise of women's football and government-led public health initiatives promoting sports participation act as foundational drivers sustaining demand for performance apparel across all demographics.

However, the market faces a substantial threat from the widespread availability of counterfeit merchandise, which undermines brand integrity and reduces profit margins for authorized manufacturers. This illicit market exploits high consumer interest without meeting quality or licensing requirements, diverting significant revenue from legitimate businesses. To demonstrate the financial magnitude supporting this competitive environment, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) reported in 2024 that revenues for top-division European clubs hit a record €26.8 billion in the preceding financial year, highlighting the immense value inherent in kit sponsorships and equipment supply agreements.

Market Drivers

The expansion of major international tournaments and leagues serves as a primary driver for periodic surges in consumer spending within the football sportswear industry. High-profile events generate cyclical demand for licensed products, as fans purchase national team kits and apparel to show support during competitions like the European Championship and Copa América.

Consequently, manufacturers coordinate production schedules with tournament timelines to accommodate the rapid inventory turnover fueled by global viewership. Evidence of this commercial impact is found in Adidas’s half-year financial report from July 2024, which noted a 6% sales increase to €11.28 billion, largely attributed to strong jersey sales linked to the UEFA Euro 2024 and Copa América. Furthermore, UEFA projected in June 2024 that the Euro 2024 tournament would generate over €2.4 billion in total revenue, marking a 25% rise from the previous edition.

Concurrently, the rise of direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce channels is transforming the retail landscape, enabling brands to bypass traditional intermediaries and secure higher margins. Companies are heavily investing in proprietary digital platforms and flagship stores to manage brand messaging, release exclusive products, and collect first-party data for future development. This vertical integration allows for quicker responses to market trends and deepens the relationship between athletic brands and consumers. Highlighting this strategic shift, Puma reported in August 2024 that its DTC business achieved currency-adjusted growth of 16.7%, totaling €1.08 billion, even as wholesale revenues declined, emphasizing the industry's move toward digital-first models that focus on direct engagement and efficiency.

Market Challenges

The widespread prevalence of counterfeit merchandise constitutes a significant obstacle to the financial stability and growth of the Global Football Sportswear Market. This illicit trade establishes a parallel marketplace that competes directly with authorized manufacturers, diverting substantial consumer expenditure away from legitimate stakeholders. By providing low-cost imitations that ignore established safety and quality standards, counterfeiters capture market share from genuine brands. This situation forces authorized producers to compete with unregulated entities that avoid the costs associated with research, design, and marketing, resulting in diminished profit margins and a tarnished brand reputation among consumers who may unknowingly acquire inferior goods.

The economic scale of this issue severely restricts the ability of legitimate companies to reinvest in product innovation and sponsorship endeavors. According to the European Union Intellectual Property Office in 2024, the legitimate clothing and footwear sector in Europe suffers an annual loss of approximately 12 billion euros due to counterfeit products. This massive revenue loss curtails the capital available for expanding distribution channels and supporting professional teams. As a result, the persistent circulation of fake merchandise inhibits the sector's potential valuation and weakens the commercial ecosystem that sustains professional football.

Market Trends

The broad integration of recycled and eco-friendly materials is fundamentally reshaping production methods in the global football sportswear industry. Manufacturers are progressively replacing virgin polyesters with sustainable alternatives sourced from textile waste and intercepted ocean plastics, a shift motivated by strict regulations and growing consumer environmental consciousness. This transition spans beyond niche items to include mass-market match kits and training gear, effectively lowering the industry's carbon footprint while preserving performance quality. Demonstrating this supply chain evolution, Adidas stated in its March 2024 'Annual Report 2023' that 99% of the polyester utilized in its products was recycled, highlighting the extent of material innovation currently transforming the manufacturing landscape.

At the same time, the development of anatomically tailored women’s football equipment is correcting a long-standing supply-demand imbalance that has neglected female athletes and fans. As participation rates increase, there is a distinct consumer shift toward authentic, gender-specific merchandise designed for female biomechanics rather than resized male versions. Brands are now acting to close inventory and merchandising gaps to leverage this growing segment. According to Klarna’s 'Rep Her' report from June 2024, sales of women's football shirts in the United Kingdom rose by 17% year-over-year - growing at double the pace of men's shirt sales - underscoring the urgent need for retailers to align product availability with the rapid rise of women’s football.

Key Players Profiled in the Football Sportswear Market

• Ralph Lauren Corporation
• New Balance, Inc.
• Nike, Inc.
• Fila Holding Corporation
• Columbia Sportswear Company
• Under Armour, Inc.
• Puma SE
• Lululemon Athletica, Inc.
• Asics Corporation
• Adidas AG

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Football Sportswear Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Football Sportswear Market, by Type:

• Footwear
• Apparel
• Others

Football Sportswear Market, by End User:

• Men
• Women
• Children

Football Sportswear Market, by Distribution Channel:

• Online
• Offline

Football Sportswear Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Football Sportswear Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.