Eager jersey buyers did a quick change outside the official city store on Friday
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that more New York City World Cup jerseys will be released after the first drop sold out last Friday, drawing early-morning lines and extortionate resale prices.
Speaking Monday, Mamdani noted that some New Yorkers lined up as early as 1 a.m. outside the official City Store in lower Manhattan for the release announced the day prior.
The merchandise was offered as a more affordable alternative to the official FIFA World Cup NY-NJ jersey, which retails for $375.
The $50 city jerseys, which come in three styles, are handmade in Bedford-Stuyvesant by the family-owned business Mazzi Sports and designed by illustrator Arsh Raziuddin.
The long line of people hoping to snag one of the jerseys last week. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
The line for the store at One Centre St. snaked around the nearby courthouses down Worth Street and stretched back as far as the overpass on Park Row as the store opened at 9 a.m. on June 12.
Jacob Farner, Kevin Assistoris, and Rohan Chala were among the lucky few to snag a jersey on Friday morning — they only had to arrive at 5:30 a.m. with camping chairs to do so.
The friends, who wore their jerseys out of the store, said they knew they had to get their early after seeing the initial reaction to the designs online, and passed the time with a deck of cards.
“I think it was well worth it,” Farner said of the early start to his day. “The jerseys look great.”
“We knew it was going to be hard to get, so we got here as early as we could,” added Chala.
Addressing the demand on Monday, Mamdani said the city wanted the jersey rollout to celebrate the Bed-Stuy-based small business and is working on details for another release.
The jerseys sold out within hours of going on sale. Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
“We will be releasing more jerseys,” Mamdani confirmed. He did not say when the next drop would happen or how many jerseys would be available, saying those details would be shared soon.
Mamdani also warned against paying inflated resale prices. After the jerseys sold out on Friday, resellers have been advertising the jerseys for over $1,000. On eBay Monday, prices for one jersey ranged from $475 to $1,200.
“If you are a reseller and you are looking to sell these jerseys online, just know there are more jerseys coming out,” he said. “If you’re New Yorkers interested in this, know that you don’t have to pay $1,000 on eBay.”
This story first appeared on Brooklyn Paper’s sister site amNewYork.