Norway jersey sold out ahead of England match

Official retailers in Europe have sold out of the Norwegian national football team’s jerseys ahead of Saturday’s World Cup quarter final between England and Norway.

The Norwegian Football Association (NFF) says it has severely underestimated demand for the kits, which have been consistently out of stock at Nike and other outlets since they launched in March.

Feverish interest in players like Erling Haaland, boosted by Norway’s victory over Brazil, means shops have been swamped as soon as fresh kits drop.

Some fans have resorted to camping outside overnight to be first in line to buy.

Demand from fans is “well beyond the forecasts”, commercial director Runar Pahr Andresen said, adding that orders were at a record high this year.

Around 250,000 jerseys were ordered by retailers this year, compared with approximately 50,000 during the same period last year, Andresen told the BBC.

Local reporters estimated the queue was around 600 metres in length, and snaked around several streets. Some dedicated fans had brought chairs to wait in line for 12 hours.

Store manager Anders Lilleberg told local Norwegian outlet VG their energy was off the charts.

“I’ve been here for many years, but I’ve never encountered the kind of atmosphere that is there now. It’s absolutely wild,” he said. 

(BBC sport)