Dortmund Deal 'Unlikely', Arsenal 'Attractive Target' - Adidas Expects to Sell More Than 8 Million 2018 World Cup Kits

Adidas expects to sell more than 8 million 2018 World Cup shirts, Chief Executive Kasper Rorsted predicted in an interview with Bloomberg. This would be a record for the Three Stripes, outperforming the numbers of kit sales four years ago.

Adidas Expects to Sell 1 Million 2018 World Cup Jerseys in The US

Adidas CEO Rorsted said Adidas won’t give forecasts for balls or shoes, adding that in the U.S. alone, the company expects to sell 1 million jerseys this year, despite the nation not competing.

“The U.S. are becoming more and more football-crazy,” Rorsted said in an interview at the company’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany. “America is the next frontier in football, and then China is behind that and will eventually get there.” The Asian country has vowed to fight obesity and made the sport a priority on its political agenda.

"Adidas is focusing on the biggest teams in terms of fan reach and success on the field," Rorsted said. Despite price inflation to sign top clubs in Europe’s leagues, the ones with the biggest price tags are also the ones generating the best return for Adidas as a sponsor, he said. Adidas is currently only sponsoring Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga, as its contract with Schalke 04 ends and Hamburger SV has been relegated.

Puma has Germany’s Borussia Dortmund under contract for another two years and owns a stake in the club, making it unlikely that Adidas will lure it away, Rorsted said. However, Arsenal would be an attractive target as Puma’s deal with it expires next year, the executive said.