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The euphoria surrounding retro fashion at the World Cup: when soccer becomes a luxury

A collage with different products from the World Cup.

Wearing a football shirt is an act of rebellion. It’s going against the grain of the drab, the ordinary, the formal. Wearing a club shirt, sometimes plastered with brand logos, or a national team shirt, sometimes one you don’t even support, is a way of expressing happiness through clothing. And football is all about joy. But this romanticized idea shatters when the market exploits nostalgia to build a business that seems to have no end.

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The man who spent three years in prison after refusing to cover up the abuses of Qatar 2022: ‘FIFA wanted to bury my case’

The World Cup final is drawing to a close, and Lusail Stadium holds its breath. With the score tied at 3-3 and the clock ticking down in extra time, Emiliano Martínez, Argentina’s goalkeeper, makes a last-ditch save from Kolo Muani’s shot, sending the match to penalties. In the shootout, the Albiceleste hold their nerve, defeating France and securing a third gold star on their crest. Adorned before the flashes of cameras wearing an immense black bisht, a traditional Arab garment, Leo Messi raises the World Cup trophy to the sky alongside the Emir of Qatar and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

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© Thomas Sondergaard/Play the Game

Abdullah Ibhais during his presentation at the Play The Game 2025 conference in Tampere, Finland.
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