England fans outraged as hefty price of World Cup kit confirmed

Martin Macdonald

• 26 Mar 2026 05:30 CDT
• 5 min read

News

Last week, Nike debuted the England kits for the 2026 World Cup to much fanfare, with Three Lions supporters seemingly happy with the slick new design.

However, as ever, there have been complaints that fans have been exploited due to the high price of the replica kits that will undoubtedly be seen everywhere in North America this summer.

To purchase an adult England shirt, it will set you back £104.99; a full kit for an older child is £122.98, while a full kit for a younger child is between £64.99 and £69.99. (BBC)

For a family of four - say two parents, one older child and one younger child, if you buy kits for everyone that will cost a whopping £397.96.

"It's a commercial decision and a matter for the FA," sports minister Stephanie Peacock told the BBC. "But I am sympathetic to fans' concerns and we do want people to think about affordability."

Nick Jones, a member of England Supporters Travel Club, said: "I don't think it comes as a big surprise that they are these prices, and at least international kits last for two years rather than one season like league clubs, so you can say it's better value for money in that sense.

"But also wages clearly haven't kept up at the same rate as inflation so it is hitting people's purses and wallets hard.

"The prices of the kids and toddlers' kits do surprise me, given they use a fraction of the material, so it does feel like Nike are trying to cream a profit off those ones in particular."

How much profit are manufacturers making?

Nike are charging the highest prices for their shirts, with Puma in second and Adidas in third. All but two of the World Cup kits released so far are made by these three brands.

For the same tournament, England fans are having to pay more than Scotland fans for a replica kit, for example.

In a statement, Nike told the BBC: "We know that any price increase matters to fans, and we never take that lightly.

"We regularly review our product costs to make sure we're delivering the best possible performance and industry-leading innovation, while balancing rising material, manufacturing and logistics costs."

Adidas said: "The pricing of these jerseys is reflective of the technology, development, testing and high-quality materials that bring them to life.

"We understand that each kit is a meaningful purchase for a fan, and we provide choice with authentic and replica jerseys at different price points.

"Counterfeit items cannot replicate these standards, and we remain committed to delivering products that perform at the very top of the sport."

The BBC confirms how much profit is actually made by manufacturers for these kits:

"According to analysis by sports merchandise expert Dr Peter Rohlmann, it costs about £8.50 for an official adult replica shirt to be manufactured and shipped, with an additional £9.50 cost for marketing, licensing and distribution.

"A new England shirt priced at £104.99 would also incur £17.50 worth of VAT.

"Removing all costs leaves a profit of about £64.49, which is split between the manufacturer and retailer according to the terms of their agreement."

The rise of counterfeit kits

The high price of replica kits las led to a craze of purchasing counterfeit kits from abroad, with Chinese manufacturers usually the sellers.

These can cost as little as £15 and that includes shipping from China.

"I don't blame anybody at all for buying fakes," Jones adds. "In the last 24 hours in the group chats I'm in links are being shared for fake kits for a fraction of the cost.

"Getting a kit for a tournament is a big part of showing your support for the team for some people, whether you're watching in the stadium, at home, or with friends.

"It partly feels like a duty and kids especially don't want to be left out."

What's the difference between a fake football shirt and a real one? 🤔 👕

Chloe Long, deputy director general at the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, explains. pic.twitter.com/YyUd8jVbCg

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 27, 2025

But, the tools and materials used to make these counterfeit kits are not known and so cannot be regulated, which presents a risks to buyers.

"We just don't know what's in these kits - they could pose a health risk," says Louise Baxter-Scott from Trading Standards.

"They are poorly made but look legitimate, and the pressure of Christmas, plus the increase in cost of living creates a greater consumer vulnerability and pushes people towards a cheaper alternative."

Chloe Long, deputy director general at the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, insists that the kits could cause rashes.

"Wearing that strip could cause irritation," she says. "It could even cause more significant problems - particularly if harmful toxins or dyes are used to manufacture those products. It's very difficult to know retrospectively what's been put into the product, but you can see in some instances that they could be harmful.

"And they don't follow any regulations. They're not bound by the same legalities and regulations the genuine manufacturers are."

Long claims that the foreign manufacturers only care about sales and don't care about using harmful chemicals.

"Whatever they can get their hands on to make this look as close to the real thing as possible, they will do that," she adds.

"So you don't know what could happen when you put that in the washing machine with other products and, particularly if you're buying it for children, this is just not a risk that you should be taking."

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