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Messi plushies see roaring trade as firms get boost
The Citizen
|June 12, 2026
Toy charms shaped like a goat and decked out in Lionel Messi’s Argentina No 10 shirt pepper a factory tabletop in China, where sellers are betting on the country’s lucrative fan market for a big World Cup boost.
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The World Cup began in North America yesterday but China won't be there after failing to qualify once again, leaving their sole appearance back in 2002.
Yet there’s still plenty of interest in the country and the showpiece is a boon for Chinese merchants crunching out kits and accessories for fans spending on “emotional value” — a rare bright spot in a domestic economy plagued by sluggish consumption.
The palm-sized soft-toy goats — homage to Messi’s title as the GOAT (“greatest of all time”) -- are a bestseller for All Star Partner, a Chinese firm who have a contract with teams including Argentina to make branded products.
The company’s sales are up five-fold this year compared to the 2022 World Cup, according to its CEO.
This story is from the June 12, 2026 edition of The Citizen.
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