The U.S. Women’s National Team may have been knocked out of the World Cup tournament, but the special swag four of the soccer stars helped create lives on. Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara and Crystal Dunn worked with artist Jayson Atienza and sports merch supplier round21 to develop a collection of special-edition products celebrating and supporting the USWNT Players Association, including sweatshirts, tees, tanks and hats, plus multiple balls and the obligatory supporter scarf.


Revenue from these items provides financial support for the athletes, who have long been advocating for more equitable pay, with 8% of proceeds from the merchandise going to the players association.

Although not specifically tied to the team’s World Cup appearance, the collection was launched just in time for the tournament. The official merch for the women’s team, sold through the U.S. Soccer Store, the Team USA Shop and the FIFA Store, includes Funko Pop player figurines, player and personalized jerseys, hoodies – and, of course, a scarf.

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The players association merch collection puts a slightly different, more personal spin on the team’s fan gear, with individual players’ signatures and quotes included on several of the pieces.

“We wanted to involve athletes, their story and artists in the creative process to result in something different. … We wanted to create a genuine expression of the values and identity of our membership,” Annie Mitchell-Reid, director of strategic partnerships and business for the USWNT Players Association, told Forbes magazine.

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Not to be outdone, Major League Soccer teamed up with Adidas and Marvel to launch a superhero-inspired collection on MLSstore.com, beginning with Captain America-themed jerseys in June. An Avengers-inspired warm-up jacket, pants and official match ball were used during the All-Star Game in July, and Avengers-inspired tops will be launched later this month to help raise awareness and funds during the league’s annual “Kick Childhood Cancer” campaign for National Childhood Cancer Awareness month in September.


Meanwhile, Manchester City – one of the most-followed teams worldwide and current triple European champs – launched a promo campaign to commemorate its preseason visit to Seoul, South Korea. Puma, the team’s premium apparel partner, hosted special fan zones and pop-up shops to see the team’s trophies, meet players and play games to win team swag.

The “Puma City” pop-up shop in Seoul’s Lotte World Mall offered the team’s official kit (that’s jerseys on this side of the pond), as well as a limited-edition “Special Font Jersey” with lettering inspired by the Korean alphabet that the team wore in the match against Atletico Madrid. That piece was also available in pop-up stores outside the game at Seoul World Cup Stadium – and although you can still get “treble winners” gear from Puma and the official Man City shop, the unique Korean kit is not for sale online.

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The growth of worldwide sports leagues means new markets for sports enthusiasts, especially when they can buy gear online. With the global licensed sports merchandise market estimated to be worth $33.5 billion in 2022 and expanding, the three examples here are only a few of the ways teams are using merchandise to build their brands and excite fans.