Decryption. Fashion and football: the success of the PSG collector's jersey illustrates a new trend

The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) jersey for the 2025-2026 season will not be unveiled until June 11, but we already know that no star will appear above the logo of the club, which won the Champions League final on Saturday . Unlike Olympique de Marseille and like other major European teams, PSG has decided to do without it, according to several specialist media outlets.

The Parisian club, on the other hand, has decided to release a "Triomphe" range to celebrate its first European title . Sweatshirts, scarves, T-shirts... More than 80 collector products have been available since Sunday. But the one everyone is snapping up is the jersey with a star in the shape of a winged Eiffel Tower, printed with "Champions of Europe / 25 / Here it is Paris" on the back.

Despite its high price tag—€110 for children, €130 for adults—the jersey sold out after just a few hours. On Sunday, fans queued for several hours to buy it. As of Wednesday morning, only a few "Children's" and "Women's" sizes were still available on the PSG online store (with delivery expected at the end of the month). As for the men's version, it was available for around €300 on eBay.

Between club attachment and a sense of identification, some fans don't count when it comes to their favorite team. For Quentin, a 25-year-old Olympique Lyonnais (OL) supporter, it's even a "must": he buys several a year, but "his most expensive purchase remains a custom-made Alexandre Lacazette jersey," costing 300 euros. Antoine, 29, is also "ready to shell out the tickets, but within reason": "I find the prices too high in general [...] For me, the hundred euros mark represents a symbolic barrier that I don't want to exceed," explains the Mulhouse resident.

The problem is that most equipment manufacturers have crossed this threshold. Puma recently announced that its future replica jerseys (for supporters) will cost 100 euros without printing, joining Nike and Adidas. According to the specialist website Footpack , the price of jerseys has increased by nearly 20 euros in the space of four years. And anything goes to increase the bill. Elisa, from Domont (Val-d'Oise), for example, is annoyed by sponsor badges, sometimes considered paid customization elements in the same way as printing. A classic jersey can easily go from 100 to 150 euros.

But the craze is still there, despite ever-increasing prices. It must be said that football jerseys, once considered uncool, have become "hype." The phenomenon even has a name: "blokecore"—a term that appeared on TikTok and refers to the English word "bloke," referring to a football fan. Wearing jerseys is becoming more feminine and is now considered a fashion statement. It's even been seen on stars like Bella Hadid, Kim Kardashian , and Kendall Jenner.

Many people are capitalizing on this lucrative business. Recently, American rapper Travis Scott made a name for himself in this field, thanks to his collaboration with FC Barcelona. The Barça jersey, featuring his Cactus Jack brand and priced at €400, sold out in just six minutes.

Vintage is also on trend. Pre-owned jerseys are highly sought after , and some are worth a fortune. In March, a Zinedine Zidane jersey from 1998 sold for €52,000 at auction. Clubs have also taken note and are incorporating references to their jerseys of yesteryear into their new collections.

Still, for some, having to pay 100, 130 or even 180 euros for a jersey is not acceptable: "When you see that the jerseys are mostly made in Asia, the prices are totally disproportionate," fumes Jonathan, 31, from Grenoble. In 2018, for example, French jerseys with two stars, marketed after the victory of the Blues, were priced at 85 euros... while they were made in Thailand for less than three euros (customs taxes included).

During the 2018 World Cup, the NGO Ethics on the Label estimated that the production costs of a Nike national team jersey amounted to 7% of the total price. Between the profits that go to distributors and equipment manufacturers, taxes, and shipping costs, clubs earn a margin of 10 to 20%, estimates Patrice Bouvet, a lecturer at the University of Poitiers and a consultant in sports economics and management, in Le Parisien .

Still, not everyone can afford the latest jersey. "Grassroots football is dying out, and it's detrimental to all fans," laments Florent, from Francheville (Rhône). To support Saint-Étienne without "sacrificing the family budget," John, 43, has found a solution: "I buy second-hand and in stores, but only on sale."

Rather than wait for a sale, others are no longer hesitant to buy counterfeits. The industry is so well organized that it's sometimes difficult to distinguish the real thing from the fake. Or how high prices and limited editions also benefit illegal resellers...