The football frenzy has benefited the Bangladeshi garment sectors as orders worth $1 billion poured into the country for World Cup replica jerseys and other merchandise. While the country has been under pressure post fire and building collapse calamities last year leading to a drastic cut in export orders, the World Cup rush proved to been a boon for the industry.

The disaster struck the industry when a fire at Tazreen Fashions in 2012 followed by the Rana Plaza collapse raised questions about the lack of safety precautions in the industry. The twin tragedies attracted world’s attention with some global brands deciding to shift the sourcing to other countries. However, according to the industry experts World Cup-related trade has boosted the entire readymade garments industry, which accounts for over $22 billion or over 80 per cent of Bangladesh's total export earnings.

Authentic jerseys similar to that worn by players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar are usually out of the reach because of their costs but Bangladeshi replicas are of high quality yet affordable making them fly off the shelves. Country saw its exports increase over 16 per cent this year, driven by demand for World Cup gear.