El Tri's Passion Goes Digital: Mexico Inks Landmark Memorabilia Deal

NEW YORK, NY – May 13, 2026 – The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) has entered into a landmark five-year partnership with MatchWornShirt (MWS), establishing a direct, high-tech pipeline between the pitch and one of global sport's most fervent fanbases. The agreement, announced today, designates the digital auction platform as the Official Digital Auction Partner for both the Men's and Women's Mexico National Teams through 2031, promising unprecedented access to authenticated, match-worn and signed jerseys.

For millions of El Tri supporters worldwide, the iconic green, white, and red jersey is more than team apparel; it's a symbol of identity, heritage, and unwavering pride. This deal transforms that emotional connection into a tangible opportunity, allowing fans to bid on the very shirts worn by their heroes during official competitions and international friendlies, including this summer's highly anticipated global tournament.

A New Frontier in Fan Engagement

The partnership's core innovation lies in its 'gamified' approach to collecting. Leveraging live auction technology, MWS will launch auctions for jerseys from the entire matchday squad at the moment of kickoff. This transforms the passive viewing experience into an interactive one, where fans can bid in real-time as the drama of the match unfolds on the pitch. A last-minute goal-scorer's jersey or a goalkeeper's heroic shirt could see its value and desirability skyrocket with every passing minute of play.

This model taps directly into the modern trend of second-screen engagement, where fans interact with live events via their mobile devices. It deepens the connection by making supporters active participants in the creation of sports history. The platform aims to redefine how fans engage with their teams, extending the excitement far beyond the final whistle.

"This is more than a partnership—it's about connecting one of the most iconic teams in the world with its global fanbase in a way that's never been done before," said Tijmen Zonderwijk, Co-Founder of MWS, in the official press release. "Mexican football fans don't just love the game, they live and breathe it. Now, they have the chance to own a real piece of their national team."

The Technology of Trust

In a global sports memorabilia market valued at over $26 billion in 2025 and projected to more than double by 2034, authenticity is paramount. The partnership addresses this critical need head-on with MatchWornShirt's proprietary Fabricks™ technology. Launched in 2024, this system embeds a small, unobtrusive Near Field Communication (NFC) chip directly into each jersey.

Winning bidders can simply tap their smartphone to the chip to access a unique digital Certificate of Authenticity (COA). This digital passport contains a wealth of verifiable information, including details about the player, the specific match, date, and venue, creating an unbreakable link between the physical item and its history. This technology is complemented by a rigorous physical authentication process. Kit managers collect the shirts directly from players post-match, oversee the signing, and ship them to MWS, where a dedicated team performs a final verification and uses high-resolution photo-matching to compare the physical shirt—down to unique scuffs or grass stains—against game-day photography.

This dual-layered approach of physical oversight and digital verification is designed to provide collectors with absolute confidence, safeguarding their investment in a market where counterfeits remain a persistent concern. It establishes a new standard of trust and transparency for memorabilia sourced directly from the field of play.

Tapping into El Tri's Global Passion

The economic and cultural significance of this deal cannot be overstated. The Mexican National Team commands a level of devotion that few others can match. Its fanbase is not confined to Mexico; it is a global diaspora, particularly powerful in the United States, where El Tri jerseys have historically been top sellers, often outselling those of other national teams.

This partnership provides the FMF with a powerful new tool to monetize this immense brand loyalty. By creating an official, authenticated channel for its most coveted assets, the federation is tapping into a thriving market. Latin America currently represents over 13% of the global sports collectibles market, with Mexico and Brazil leading the region. By formalizing the sale of match-worn memorabilia, the FMF is not only generating a new revenue stream but also strengthening its brand and deepening its relationship with supporters.

This strategy reflects a broader shift in sports business, where federations and clubs are increasingly looking for innovative ways to leverage their unique assets and intellectual property in the digital age. The FMF's move could serve as a playbook for other national teams seeking to connect more directly with their global followers.

The Evolving Business of Sports Memorabilia

MatchWornShirt has positioned itself at the forefront of this evolution. With a network of approximately 300 partner clubs and national teams, including European giants like Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Manchester City, the platform has proven the viability of its direct-from-pitch model. The business often operates on a revenue-share basis, with a significant portion of auction proceeds—sometimes as high as 79%—returning to the partner clubs, which frequently channel these funds into charitable foundations and community initiatives.

This model transforms memorabilia from simple merchandise into a vehicle for both fan engagement and social good. It also capitalizes on the growing perception of sports memorabilia as a viable alternative asset class, with high-demand items showing significant annual appreciation. By providing a secure and engaging platform, MWS is helping to mature the market from a niche hobby into a more mainstream form of collecting and investment.

For the Mexican Football Federation, this alliance is a forward-thinking move that acknowledges the changing nature of fandom and commerce. It leverages technology not just to sell a product, but to offer an experience and a verifiable piece of history. This partnership ensures that for Mexico's supporters, the game no longer ends at the final whistle; it now lives on, authenticated and immortalized, in the hands of the fans who cherish it most.