Costa Ricas World Cup success has proved an unexpected bonus for Lotto Sport Italia. The private sportswear firm has seen sales of Costa Rica shirts rise 20-fold as Los Ticos qualified top of Group D, ahead of three former world champions, and then beat Greece on penalties to make the last eight.
It is a rare triumph for a smaller kitmaker of an ilk that has been increasingly squeezed out of the World Cup with major brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma paying millions to hog the stage at the worlds most watched sporting event. Lotto is struggling to keep up with demand and says an extra 50,000 shirts have been sold since Costa Rica won their opening game against Uruguay. At Fifas online store the red home strip is no longer available in the usual short sleeves.
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