Football fans in Staffordshire are being warned to avoid buying counterfeit football shirts during the 2026 FIFA World Cup which is now under way.
While cheaper than authentic versions, fake football shirts available online and at car boot sales and markets, may look like a bargain, but they come with hidden risks.
While official shirts undergo rigorous safety checks, fakes skip these steps and can leave buyers with poor quality clothing or items that contain harmful toxins from their dyes and materials.
Fake shirts along with other counterfeit goods also have strong links to organised crime gangs, helping fund their operations.
Anthony Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience at Staffordshire County Council, said:
Lots of people will be looking forward to cheering on England in the World Cup which means looking the part and getting a shirt.
We always see an increase in reports of counterfeit shirts In the run up to major football tournaments like the World Cup which is why we’re reminding people about the risks of buying fakes.
Not only will you end up with poor quality items but many fakes pose safety risks and often fund extremely serious criminal activity.
Our message to football fans is simple: if a deal on a shirt looks too good to be true, it probably is, and it’s probably a fake. By choosing genuine products and buying from reputable retailers, you’ll help protect yourself and support local businesses. You can report any suspected fakes to us and help keep your community safe.”
Trading Standards work to tackle the sale of illegal and counterfeit goods is part of wider efforts to protect local communities and part of the authority’s recently published community safety strategy.
People with concerns about the sale of counterfeit goods can report them online on the Trading Standards Report It webpage or by calling 01785 330356.
