As the World Cup gets underway, soccer and sports stores across the D.C. area say they’re already seeing major spikes in foot traffic and sales—driven by fans lining up for jerseys, cleats, and even Panini trading stickers.
Before the first kickoff in the World Cup, the line for match-day gear had already started moving through parts of the D.C. area.
At Rockville Soccer, supervisor Johan Romero watched the excitement build into a steady stream of customers. Many are coming in to get ready for watch parties at home or to head out to sports bars with the right colors on.
“Yeah, definitely big, big week with the World Cup coming in,” Romero said.
Romero said the tournament is translating quickly into sales and store traffic, pushing shoppers into the aisles as soon as they decide where they’ll watch the matches.
“With the introduction with the World Cup, we’re looking at double amounts of sales and foot traffic too,” Romero said.
The pull is broad, he said, reaching across countries and fanbases that reflect the region’s diversity. Romero named teams drawing attention right now—France, Portugal, Argentina, and the U.S.—and described how many shoppers are arriving with specific favorites in mind.
“You know, you definitely got the big teams, you know, you got like France, Portugal, Argentina, the U.S.,” he said.
Jerseys are the headline item, but Romero said some customers also want the look of the sport itself. Cleats and other gear similar to what players wear on the field are finding buyers, too.
“They (customers) want to experience what their idols might be wearing out on the stage,” he said.
The momentum is just as sharp in Bethesda, where PJ’s Soccer Lacrosse owner Phil Gallipo Jr. described the World Cup as one of the busiest stretches of the year.
“This is Christmas for sure,” Gallipo said.
Gallipo said fans are rotating through both the Bethesda and Tyson’s, Virginia locations throughout the day, often stopping in to pick up jerseys at the last minute before matches.
“The atmosphere is great. We got people coming in all day long, picking up jerseys,” he said.
He said the surge is showing up in the numbers as well, with sales running higher than a typical month. For the current period, Gallipo said the store is seeing an increase of roughly 30 to 40% retail compared to last year.
“Oh, for this month, probably maybe 30 to 40% retail up compared to last year,” he said.
Beyond jerseys, Gallipo said Panini FIFA World Cup 2026 trading stickers have become a standout draw—especially among kids and collectors. Fans buy packs without knowing exactly what they’ll get, then trade with others to complete sets.
“Buyers purchase packs without knowing what they will get, then trade with others to complete collections,” Gallipo said.
Some stickers, Gallipo added, can carry high value depending on what’s inside the packet. He said the most valuable items are those that feature player pictures with a black background. As an example, he said a Messi sticker with a black background is worth about $100,000.
“And so, the black one, there’s only one, and I know the (Lionel) Messi one, if you get a Messi black background, it’s worth about $100,000,” Gallipo said.
At both stores, the World Cup effect isn’t just about shopping carts. Romero and Gallipo said the tournament is pulling people together—neighbors stopping by to share excitement, compare teams, and gear up for games in the same places where they buy their colors.
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