Amid World Cup fever in Dubai, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal jersey outsells Brazil’s iconic yellow and Argentina’s stripes, highlighting the Portuguese star’s unmatched global appeal.
It was only a few days ago that an American sports podcaster revealed the viewership figures for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US market.
Despite the Messi mania sweeping across the US from the East Coast to the West, the podcaster said Brazil’s matches still drew more viewers than Argentina’s.
“It’s that brand of Brazil, the famous yellow shirt that still matters so much in football,” he said.
When it comes to iconic football jerseys, Brazil has historically stood out with its instantly recognisable yellow shirt.
Brazil’s iconic yellow shirt has historically dominated global football culture, shining brightly on the pitch and in stadiums worldwide, where thousands of supporters turn up to back the five-time world champions.
The yellow jersey, first made famous by Pelé’s Brazil, remains a symbol of the country’s distinctive and expressive style of football.
Argentina’s blue and white stripes—Brazil’s South American rivals—were elevated to legendary status by Diego Maradona’s heroics in 1986.
Now, with Lionel Messi continuing to defy age and producing standout performances at the 2026 World Cup at 39, four years after his triumph in Qatar, a strong wave of blue and white has once again swept across global fanbases.
However, in Dubai, neither Brazil nor Argentina has topped jersey sales during this World Cup season.
Instead, it is Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal shirts that have dominated the charts.
According to a salesman at a prominent sportswear outlet in Dubai, Portugal’s home shirts sold out in less than 20 days.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, may have been struggling for top form in North America, but his popularity remains undiminished.
“People want the Portugal jersey obviously because of Ronaldo. He has an incredible fanbase in Dubai,” said the salesperson, who requested anonymity. “People from all backgrounds have come and bought his shirt. I cannot name one or two nationalities; they are from so many different countries.”
He added that there is also strong demand for Argentina and Brazil jerseys.
“Portugal jerseys were sold out in less than 20 days. It’s out of stock now. The other jersey in high demand is Argentina’s blue away kit, which is selling more than the home kit,” he said. “Brazil is also in high demand—their yellow jersey, not the away shirt.”
However, the biggest surprise has been the Egyptian jersey, which, according to another salesperson at the same outlet, has even outpaced expectations.
“The Egypt shirt is out of stock now. We only have kids’ sizes; adult shirts are completely sold out,” he said. “A lot of Egyptian companies have bought them in bulk for staff. Another strong seller is the Moroccan jersey. Dubai has a sizeable Moroccan population, and Morocco also did very well in the last World Cup, reaching the semi-finals.”
A young man then walked into the outlet wearing a Portugal shirt and was happy to be named.
“I am Charles, and I am from Uganda,” he said with a smile. Charles has supported Portugal since Cristiano Ronaldo made his World Cup debut in 2006.
“It doesn’t matter if Ronaldo becomes a World Cup champion like Messi and Pelé,” he said. “For me, Ronaldo will always be the number one.”
