(Yicai) July 9 -- Football memorabilia linked to legendary players is attracting strong demand as several icons make their final World Cup appearances, with a Cristiano Ronaldo-autographed jersey drawing bids of up to CNY78,000 (USD11,480) on China's Dewu marketplace.

The surge in demand reflects growing sentiment-driven spending on sports collectibles during the tournament. At the same time, the World Cup is also boosting tourism to lesser-known destinations such as Cape Verde, while highlighting the continued dominance of global sportswear giants in football sponsorships.

Yicai found that a Real Madrid Black Dragon special-edition jersey bearing Ronaldo's autograph has attracted more than 34,000 viewers in a single auction on Chinese e-commerce and authentication platform Dewu. The platform also lists multiple Ronaldo-related collectibles, including jerseys and trading cards, with bidding prices ranging from several thousand yuan to tens of thousands of yuan.

The tournament's influence extends beyond collectibles. Cape Verde, one of the surprise performers at this year's World Cup, has also gained tourism exposure. According to online travel agency LY.Com, destination searches for Cape Verde more than tripled week on week within 24 hours after its July 4 match against Argentina, while inquiries for "Cape Verde + Lisbon" itineraries and island-hopping tour packages also rose sharply.

Yicai learned from Chinese sportswear maker Li-Ning that the company signed Cape Verde international footballer Willy Semedo before this year's World Cup. Semedo has worn Li-Ning's self-developed Razor football boots during the tournament.

Despite strong sales of football- and player-related merchandise on Chinese e-commerce platforms, domestic sportswear brands remain largely absent from pitch-side advertising boards, the tournament's official sponsor list, and the roster of national team kit suppliers.

Industry insiders told Yicai that the World Cup team equipment market has long been highly consolidated, with sponsorships dominated by international brands, particularly Adidas, Nike, and Puma. This year, the three companies account for 77 percent of jersey sponsorships across the tournament's 48 participating teams.

Chinese brands have little opportunity to supply national teams and instead participate mainly by sponsoring individual players, as Li-Ning has done with Semedo.

Another challenge is that football is not a core business for most Chinese sportswear companies. Public information shows that leading domestic brands, including Li-Ning, primarily focus on running, outdoor sports, and basketball, with few maintaining dedicated football business lines.

Editor: Emmi Laine