Norway's World Cup heroics have sparked a jersey frenzy like no other, leaving fans scrambling to get their hands on a piece of the team's sizzling success. With just days to go until they take on England in the quarter-finals, football enthusiasts are facing a bitter pill – severe shortages of Norwegian national team kits.
The astonishing demand has caught official retailers and suppliers off guard, with Nike and other outlets reporting complete sell-outs since the launch of the new jerseys in March. According to Runar Pahr Andresen, commercial director for the NFF, interest is "well beyond the forecasts", with a whopping 250,000 jerseys ordered by retailers this year – a staggering 400% increase on last year's modest 50,000.
The chaos has been palpable at Torshov Sport in Oslo, where fans braved queues estimated to be an astonishing 600 metres long, snaking through the streets. Some die-hard supporters waited up to 12 hours, armed with chairs to endure the wait. Anders Lilleberg, store manager, described the atmosphere as "absolutely wild", saying he'd never witnessed such fervour in his years at the shop.
The NFF acknowledges the supply chain issues, but Andresen explained that manufacturing timelines are planned long in advance, making it challenging to scale up production during a major tournament like the World Cup. However, the association is rubbing its hands in glee, having "never made more money" from jersey sales than currently.
Nike has apologised for the disappointment and confirmed additional deliveries will arrive in Norway soon, but desperate fans are turning to the secondary market, where prices have skyrocketed. The official Nike Norway 2026 Stadium Home Jersey is now being resold for up to £355 – a whopping 300% markup on its original price of £89.99.