Football jerseys and kit are everywhere as the World Cup 2026 gets underway in the US. But how can you make sure your merch is sustainable? What are the things to consider when dressing up to support your team? Here, we explain all.
World Cup merch is absolutely everywhere, but is that sustainable?
Team jerseys from Nike and Umbro and Free People. World Cup branded swag from Gap and Adidas and Urban Outfitters. So much football merch is being pushed now and it raises a big question: is any of this sustainable?
Sports merch, whether for the World Cup or as a seasonal kit launch, drives frequent consumption of products that are often made from synthetic materials, which isn’t necessarily sustainable. Here, we’re explaining how to make better choices around big sports moments and what to keep in mind.
To understand merch, you have to understand the brand
Start by understanding the brand putting out the item of clothing. How do they rate for their transparency around their sustainability impact and actions? How do they treat people, the planet, and animals? If you’re getting a jersey from Nike, for instance, the brand rates “It’s a Start” as it lacks proper care for workers. But your Umbro jersey? We rate the brand our lowest score of “We Avoid” as it’s doing very little to protect the planet or workers. Know this before you buy.
But what about unbranded merch?
Unbranded merch, ie the shirts not from the likes of Nike and Umbro, is where things get tricky, because there are often few details about the item’s provenance and the supply chain is obscured.
The best way to think about this is in the same way as concert merch: it’s not a very transparent space with little information about production or material sourcing. As in music, values in merch reflect players, teams, and home cities. And as in music merch, much of what’s made is of polyester and virgin cotton, both of which require significant water and resources to produce.
What about recycled polyester?
There has been buzz around recycled polyester this World Cup because some of it is made through textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling. As a reminder, most recycled polyester doesn’t come from textiles: it comes from plastic bottles. But this year, Nike is boasting 100% recycled polyester fibres made through T2T recycling in the kit being worn by 12 national teams. Puma and adidas have also incorporated it into their team kits.
This is major because scaling of T2T recycling has long been a challenge. It shows that the material has potential, notes a Business of Fashion report by Shayeza Walid about the issue. Speaking about the potential opportunities this opens up, Sarah Needham, chief engagement and partnerships officer at Textile Exchange, told Walid: “We need that really stable market demand so people can proceed with that systemic transformation with confidence.”
But there are caveats. First, recycled polyester continues to release microplastics. Second, much of the T2T recycled polyester is made from post-industrial waste, not from clothes people have bought and discarded. Thus the issue: post-industrial T2T recycling isn’t solving the problem of clothing waste. It signals the technology is there, but uptake and implementation remain a challenge.
How do sports fans find more sustainable merch?
Shop secondhand. None of these football teams are new, so they likely have archives of local shirts and styles, and sites like Vinted and eBay are home to thousands upon thousands of jerseys. Sourcing pre-loved merch puts otherwise unworn clothing to good use. The catch? Consider whether you’re investing in this jersey for life, and that you’re not simply playing into an ephemeral seasonal World Cup trend, rather, that you can wear and rewear the garment long after the tournament is finished.
You can also swap jerseys with other fans and friends to save money and the consumption of excess resources. If you can’t find anyone with the right team’s jersey, you could always dress for the occasion in team colours instead. This means you can pull from your wardrobe, opt for vintage, or turn to “Good” and “Great” brands for alternatives.
