There is a hat, flag and headband. Or in this case, there's Lionel Messi's jersey at Inter Miami. Thus, in Spanish. One of the postcards of Leo's early days on this earth was the presence of street vendors wearing the "alternative" jersey (the trout) in the vicinity of the DRV PNK Stadium. And if you want to buy the original, you can't.
This area of Florida is immense. The court of Leo's new team is in Fort Lauderdale, an hour from Miami Beach, where there is an Adidas store that receives and replenishes the stock with the pink and black of the 10. But fans who approach the stadium gate, trying to get a signature or a selfie with the idol, are forced to buy the trout. The official store, which works in partnership with textile giant Fanatics, is located under one of the stands and is only open on match days.
On Sunday, the day of the presentation, from 9:00 there were street vendors with the 'models', imported from China and with a surprisingly good quality. A couple parked their car and opened the trunk, full of clothes. A Colombian arrived with a cart and it was emptied in an hour. The shirt costs 50 dollars, the pants, 30 and the piluso hat, 30. All cash, of course.
People arrive at the gate of the stadium and there is no choice but to buy the "replica" version, as the "trout" is called. Photo: Clarin.
Contrary to what can be assumed, there are no police or controls, at least in the vicinity of the stadium. However, around the time of the presentation some sellers began to liquidate the merchandise for fear of being seized. There, haggling through, the shirt was offered to 30.
Behind all this movement there is an Argentine revival. A month before it was confirmed that Leo was going to play for Beckham's club, a group of "investors" placed an order from China for 5,000 shirts, with the number and patches that the original does not have. "Adidas does not have it because of an order from Apple," they explain.
The websites of the Asian country dedicated to this informal but millionaire industry offer them at $ 15 per unit. You have to order them in quantity and ask for the container to pass through Customs. There are sellers who group together to get a better price. But once they're home, business takes care of itself.
A Venezuelan vendor also offers a Piluso hat for $30. Photo Clarín.
"It's better than the post," they insist. This week, Inter Miami announced that the jerseys are sold online with a price of $ 125, the normal version, or $ 194 if you want to buy the "Authentic" that players use, with 'premium' fabric. But you have to place the order and wait for the shipment: and the secret is to have it fast.
The trout sold in Argentina are manufactured in our country, so they are sold at 4,500 or 6,000 pesos, much less than international values. The quality is not good, especially in the print. The clandestine workshops are usually located in hard-to-reach areas, such as Villa Celina, Ciudad Oculta and Villa 31. There are manufactured those of Boca, River and the National Team: today the one that comes out the most is that of Inter Miami.
Once the T-shirts clear customs, the business goes on its own. Photo: Instagram.
"The gringos did 'noni, noni,'" sums up an Argentine seeker who lives in Miami and benefited from Messi's arrival. In reality, what happened was that Inter had to wait for Leo to sign his contract to give free rein to the production of original shirts. The announcement was on June 7 and confirmation on Saturday, July 15. In that span of time, more than a month, they made the "noni, noni".
This Wednesday, two days after Leo's debut against Cruz Azul, the video of a boat sailing on the high seas with a cargo of Adidas clothing, in pink, and the image of Messi went viral. "Messimania" is an unprecedented commercial phenomenon, and this is just beginning.
From Fort Lauderdale, special envoy
A cart full of merchandise dedicated to Messi's Inter Miami. Photo: Clarin.
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