Believing in “Made in China”: one Million Footballs Produced in 50 Days

A Look Back at the Qatar World Cup 2022，There’s a saying circulating in the industry: over 50% of World Cup merchandise comes from Yiwu, and  50% of Yiwu’s  World Cup products come from BSA GROUP.

On November 21, the quadrennial World Cup kicked off in Qatar, yet the buzz of this major sporting event was still alive in Yiwu. Shop windows along the commercial streets were filled with jerseys, flags, stickers, and other merchandise brimming with World Cup themes. By mid-October, store owners were frequently on their phones communicating with domestic and international clients, quickly and familiarly confirming product designs and order quantities.

“We exported around 1 million football scarf during fifa world cup period alone, worth approximately ¥20 million,” shared Jackie, who has been in the football business for 27 years and has experienced six World Cups.

The World Cup trade has taken deep root in Yiwu. From flags to footballs and jerseys, “Made in China” accounts for nearly 70% of the entire market for World Cup-related products in Qatar.

Despite a production cycle of less than 50 days for the Qatar World Cup orders, daily output reached 3,000 soccer scarves. After more than a decade of dedication, Jackie has grown from a small vendor into a professional jersey exporter. This year, he ventured into original designs and successfully expanded his market—exporting over 2 million jerseys.

Taking Orders, One After Another

From the vuvuzelas of the 2010 South Africa soccer world cup to the caixolas of Brazil 2014, and the waving flags of the 2018 Russia World Cup, “Made in China” has never been absent from the sidelines of almost every World Cup.

“If you had come half a month earlier, you would have seen a much busier scene. Most of the bulk orders have already been shipped. Now we’re only dealing with last-minute supplementary orders and some domestic requests,” Jackie told reporters. Before each World Cup, BSA GROUP enters its busiest period. “We usually start preparations half a year or even a year in advance.”

Since April, Jackie has continuously received jersey orders from international traders. The original jerseys developed by BSA GROUP in collaboration with clients have already reached over 2 million units. Even now, the factory is working around the clock to prepare for the upcoming Scottish Premier League season. To ensure sufficient supply, Jackie not only leased additional warehouse space but also partnered with seven factories across Guangdong and Guangxi to guarantee smooth production. “I spend my days between the factory, warehouse, and store. My phone constantly buzzes with new orders—there’s no stopping.”

During the Brazil World Cup eight years ago, Jackie sold over 1.5 million footballs in a single day. That year, he received numerous overseas orders, including officially licensed souvenir footballs. “Around the World Cup, we exported 1 million footballs, worth about $3 million.”

With orders for World Cup-related products surging, nearly all operations revolved around the event. Jackie confidently told reporters that as football’s global popularity and participation continue to grow, orders for the 2026 World Cup are expected to double compared to this year.

Jackie has done the math: the orders during a World Cup year bring substantial benefits to all sports manufacturers in China. “Basically, one year’s revenue equals two normal years. No matter how tired we are, it’s worth it.”

According to Jackie’s estimates, “Made in China” products—including flags for all 32 teams, horns, whistles, footballs, jerseys, scarves, replica trophies, and pillows—account for nearly 70% of the World Cup merchandise market.

Overtime Production: 1 Million Footballs in Over a Month

Jackie has been involved in foreign trade since 2005 and has 27 years of experience in the football industry, spanning five World Cups.

“The World Cup frenzy truly erupted in Yiwu during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. Besides the proximity of the host cities making it easy for the excitement to spread, another key factor was the Chinese national team’s first-ever qualification for the World Cup, which sparked unprecedented enthusiasm across the country.” The lively scenes left a deep impression on Jackie: stock in warehouses was almost entirely snapped up by distributors, international buyers flocked with cash in hand, and countless orders poured in daily. “It felt like the whole of Yiwu was making footballs.”

The huge business opportunities presented by the World Cup inspired Jackie. Since then, he has arranged football production preparations a year in advance of each World Cup.

Ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, a client from Saudi Arabia approached Jackie with an official license to produce World Cup merchandise. The client planned to produce 1 million commemorative footballs printed with the flags of all 32 participating countries and hoped Jackie would take the order. In less than a week, Jackie delivered all the design drafts, leaving the client amazed by the “China speed.”

Since entering the import-export business in 2005, Jackie has continuously developed football-related products. One of his phone cases for fans sold 5 million units in Europe. He frequently traveled across South America and Europe with samples, negotiating and signing cooperation agreements with local teams and companies.

“Our products are among the best in terms of quality and design,” Jackie stated. His main markets are in Europe and South America, where he sells over 1 million footballs, jerseys, scarves, and other related products annually. He has been cooperating with importers in Spain since 2012.

According to Jackie, producing a single football involves nearly 10 steps, from material selection and cutting to printing, stitching, inflation testing, and final packaging. “With over 60 workers and specialized machinery, our factory can produce 3,000 footballs per day,” he explained. “Although 100,000 footballs can be completed in just over a month, we also have to handle orders from other clients simultaneously.”

Based on past experience, match results directly affect order volumes. The further a team advances, the higher the demand for its supporting merchandise. Factories and retailers often “bet” on several strong teams, adjusting production accordingly to accommodate last-minute orders.

In early 2022, one client initially ordered 5,000 pcs mexico national football team product . When their team qualified for the main tournament, the client immediately placed an additional order.

“Although rising costs of raw materials and labor have reduced profit margins per football, the growing popularity of the World Cup has led to overall order growth compared to last year. It has also allowed international buyers to gain greater market profits and brand loyalty from fans,” Jackie noted.

From Design to Original Creation

“The year leading up to each World Cup is exceptionally busy. Not only do overseas orders surge, but domestic jersey sales also multiply,” said Jackie, carefully inspecting the details of a jersey on the production line. “This is an original design created for the World Cup. There’s no room for carelessness.”

Since entering the industry in 2005, Jackie has focused heavily on the jersey business. “I never liked sports or football as a child, but I’ve become one of the World Cup’s staunchest behind-the-scenes supporters. That’s the trust and recognition I’ve earned from all my clients.”

After 15 years of dedication, Jackie has grown from a small vendor into a renowned jersey manufacturer in China. During the 2018 Russia World Cup, he exported 1.8 million jerseys. While watching a match, he was thrilled to see fans wearing his jerseys cheering for their team. “As a non-football fan, that moment was truly exciting.”

Creating original designs is no easy task. In March of this year, Jackie began designing jerseys for the World Cup teams. Unable to create digital drafts himself, he sketched his ideas on paper and collaborated with professional designers to refine colors and details through repeated revisions.

“Designing a jersey isn’t as simple as changing colors. To avoid uniformity, we incorporate unique elements and colors representing each team and its country,” Jackie explained. For instance, the Argentina fan jersey not only retains the traditional blue and white colors but also features a sun pattern and two stars, symbolizing the country’s two World Cup victories. “Even though these are new designs, fans can easily identify which country the jersey supports based on its elements.”

The Boom in World Cup-Related Industries

The World Cup wave has also driven explosive growth in souvenirs like trophies and badges, as well as logistics and transportation. Jackie told reporters that his factory had been working at full capacity producing World Cup-related products. With nearly 20 years in the industry, he has received orders for World Cup souvenir trophies, badges, and other merchandise from international clients every tournament cycle. This year, order volume increased by nearly 50% compared to previous years.

In addition to mass-producing trophies, Jackie also designed various accessories featuring Qatari elements, such as emblem badges, keychains, and car pendants. Many clients placed custom orders for these items to give as gifts during the World Cup when visiting business partners and friends, the world eagerly awaits the Soccer World Cup 2026.