It is hard to rival the excitement of football fans at the World Cup. They paint their faces, scream and wave flags. But sportswear firms, which stand to make billions from the football tournament, are just as enthusiastic. Sales of football-related products at Nike, the world's largest sportswear-maker, increased by 39% in the three months to the end of May, before the tournament in South Africa even began. Adidas, its German rival, predicts sales of football items worth more than €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) this year, up 25% from 2006, the year of the previous World Cup.
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