11 June 2026
Why football shirts have become part of fans' identities, making sustainability harder to sell
Dr Byungdoo Kim says football merchandise has become part of fans’ identities rather than simply clothing, making environmental concerns easier to ignore.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has expanded to 48 teams for the first time, bringing more matches, more supporters and more opportunities for brands to sell new merchandise. But according to Dr Byungdoo Kim of the Centre for Sustainable Business, the biggest challenge facing sustainable sports merchandise is not just what football shirts are made from. It is how fans think about them.
Speaking on the Office Hours podcast, Dr Kim argued that football shirts occupy a unique place in consumer culture because supporters often see them as an extension of themselves rather than a product.
“For fans, it’s not just a T-shirt. It’s community, it’s identity. The shirt isn’t a product in their head. It’s part of who they are. You don’t make a cost-benefit calculation with yourself, with your identity, and that’s exactly why sustainability struggles to enter the equation.”
The insight helps explain a contradiction in modern consumer behaviour. Many fans care about environmental issues, yet major tournaments continue to create huge demand for new shirts.
Dr Kim said the emotional intensity of fandom can override normal purchasing decisions. The dynamic was famously demonstrated by Nike’s Nigeria shirt ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which became a global fashion phenomenon and sold out in three minutes.
“You’re not standing there weighing up the environmental cost. You’re not running a calculation about microplastics or polyester, or whether it ends up in a landfill. When something is disappearing that fast, there is a feeling that you have to get it. It’s all about urgency. Otherwise, you’re going to miss the opportunity.”
The comments come as sportswear companies increasingly promote recycled materials and circular production models. However, Dr Kim cautioned against assuming that these innovations automatically solve the problem.
“Every big brand says, ‘Okay, we are trying to be sustainable. We are eco-friendly because we are using recycled fibres.’ But recycled does not mean it’s automatically sustainable.”
Modern football shirts are typically made from polyester, a petroleum-based synthetic fibre that can remain in the environment for decades.
“Polyester can take up to 200 years to break down, which means every kit any club has ever released is still here, in some form, somewhere on the planet.”
For Dr Kim, the debate should move beyond simply producing greener products and instead question whether consumers need to keep buying new ones.
“The real question is not about what this football shirt is made of. The real question is, do I really need it?”
Listen to Football's Plastic Problem wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.
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Research Associate, Centre for Sustainable Business