Adidas Accused of Paying Mexican Artisans Below Minimum Wage for 2026 World Cup Jerseys

When Adidas announced they had partnered with artisans from Naupan, Puebla to handcraft the Mexico national team jerseys for the 2026 World Cup, the internet loved it. Photos circulated of skilled Mexican women, stitch by stitch, bringing the jersey to life. It felt like a win, a rare moment where a global brand acknowledged the craft that Latin American communities have passed down for generations. People shared it, praised it, and called it representation done right.

But behind those beautiful photos was a much uglier reality.

Adidas did not hire those artisans directly. They contracted through a company called Someone Somewhere, which markets itself as an ethical apparel brand. That word, ethical, starts to fall apart pretty quickly when you look at the actual pay those workers received. Reports indicate artisans were earning between 26 and 34 pesos an hour, which converts to less than $2 USD. To put that in context, those same jerseys retail for $150 on the Adidas website, more than enough pesos to make the math feel insulting.

According to a 2023 report by the Worker Rights Consortium, garment workers in Mexico frequently earn wages that fall below the true living wage threshold, even when brands publicly promote ethical sourcing partnerships. The conditions described by workers in Naupan went beyond just the pay. They reportedly were not given proper lunch breaks and were expected to complete two jerseys every five to six hours as a mandatory quota. Healthcare benefits that were promised as part of the arrangement never materialized.

Adidas is a company that reported over 21 billion euros in revenue in 2023. Choosing to route production through a subcontractor that pays below minimum wage while charging full luxury pricing on the finished product is not an oversight. It is a decision. The artisans of Naupan are skilled craftspeople whose work ended up on the backs of fans around the world, and the gap between what they were paid and what consumers spent is staggering.

There is something especially pointed about this happening with the Mexico jersey specifically, a garment tied directly to national pride and cultural identity. For Mexican and Mexican American fans who bought that jersey feeling connected to something, learning where the money actually went and what those workers went through puts a different feeling on wearing it.

The backlash online has been swift, and both Adidas and Someone Somewhere now face pressure to answer for the conditions reported. Whether that pressure results in actual change or a carefully worded PR statement remains to be seen. What is clear is that the celebration around this partnership was premature, and the story that got shared widely was only half the picture. The artisans who made those jerseys deserved the credit they received, but they also deserved to be paid fairly for it. One without the other is not a success story. It is a photo opportunity.