The ongoing FIFA World Cup appears to have sparked a striking shift in the wardrobes of football fans in Kerala’s Kochi. Suddenly, one encounters a ‘Messi’, a ‘Ronaldo’, or a ‘Neymar Jr’ at every turn, cutting across social strata and job profiles.

A worker scaling a ladder at the Kochi metro site, a delivery boy zipping past on a two-wheeler, or a techie heading to her office — all seem like moving billboards of loyalty to their favourite players and teams. Traders dealing in football merchandise, especially jerseys, are hardly complaining.

Argentina’s three shades of blue and Brazil’s canary yellow unsurprisingly dominate the jersey market, followed by those of Portugal, Germany, Spain, England, Belgium, and several others.

“While the demand for Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar Jr jerseys began on an equal footing, Messi has surged ahead after his hat-trick in the opening game against Algeria. Of the 50 player jerseys ordered since then, 30 have been for Messi’s shirt,” says Mahin Abubacker, who has been running a sports shop for a decade.

The appetite for team jerseys has far outstripped supply this World Cup compared to the 2022 edition, when work-from-home culture still lingered. “Demand was lower then, as the scope for flaunting jerseys in public was limited. This time, even those who aren’t diehard fans wear them to flow with the trend. Also, it’s the last World Cup for Gen Z, and they want to celebrate it,” Mr. Abubacker observes.

Different versions of jerseys are being sold, priced according to quality. “A sublimation jersey, made using heat-transfer dye technology to imprint ink directly on fabric, comes cheap. The high-quality ones sourced from places like Thailand are priced between ₹1,000 and ₹1,500,” explains Roshan Thomas, who deals in national and club jerseys. Jerseys of European clubs, usually in demand year-round, recede into the background when the World Cup takes centre stage.

Tony George, chairman of the Arsenal Kerala Supporters Club, notes that loyalty during a World Cup plays out at multiple levels, often dividing the otherwise unifying identity of favourite clubs. “Some fans have their favourite national teams, which they may have followed for years. Those without such allegiance tend to support teams featuring players from their favourite clubs. Norway, which has built up some following this time, is a case in point. The team has drawn Manchester City and Arsenal fans thanks to the presence of Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, who represent those clubs,” he says.

While other merchandise such as flags also find takers, their appeal remains largely confined to collective gatherings like screenings. With the official broadcaster enforcing a licensing regime under Public Viewing Rights, the number of such events appears to have declined drastically.