Counterfeit Lionel Messi Inter Miami jerseys pour into Argentina, officials say, as a woman is caught smuggling 50 into Buenos Aires

Argentina’s customs authorities have warned of “a deluge of irregular arrivals” of “the latest must-have item” in the illicit trade: Inter Miami jerseys bearing Lionel Messi’s name and number in what officials are calling a “clear trend” following the seizure of 250 jerseys in the past week.

A case of an Argentine citizen flying from Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires Jorge Newbury Airport on a LATAM flight was described as “iconic” by The General Customs Bureau (Dirección General de Aduanas, DGA), thus The Buenos Aires Times.

Officers opened the woman’s luggage and found “a staggering 50 Inter Miami Messi jerseys, all labeled and in their plastic packaging” after being asked by authorities if she had anything to report.

She said she was not in possession of any illegal goods, but the scanner proved otherwise.

Counterfeiting specialists were then asked to verify the authenticity of the jerseys, though they eventually concluded they were fakes, thus banning them.

The shirt has yet to go on sale officially in Argentina, although it works wonders in the US

“It is allowed to bring clothes into the country under the so-called simplified regime, but the cases discovered in the past week are of a magnitude that leads us to believe that it is being imported for profit,” the Argentine authorities told The BA Times.

Customs subsequently revealed that since Messi’s new club jersey is not yet officially on sale in Argentina and the counterfeits were designed in the same way as the originals, the woman likely intended to sell them as authentic and profit unlawfully from the passion generated by the seven-time Ballon D’Or winner in his home country.

Officers also indicated that not only did the woman attempt to get the sweaters into the country illegally, but 2,000 Pokémon cards, three tablets containing an unknown substance, 100 packets of protein, and several boxes of muscle supplements were also found in her luggage.

“It was all confiscated by Customs under Articles 977 and 978 of the Customs Code as, given the number and variety of products, we can assume that they were imported with the intention of selling them,” said an official press release from Argentina’s Customs Service.

Messi, 35, is adored in his home country, where many watched his Miami debut on Friday

The Argentinian scored a free kick in stoppage time to give Miami vs. Cruz Azul a 2-1 lead

Football has reached new heights in the US since Messi’s arrival earlier this month and other countries in the Americas, particularly Argentina, have been raving about the 35-year-old playing for Miami as many can play with little to no time constraints.

There is only one hour time difference between Buenos Aires and Florida.

In addition, more than 100,000 Argentines live in Miami, which will host World Cup matches in 2026, according to The Associated Press.

Messi marked his Inter Miami debut with a stunning free-kick into the top left corner in stoppage time of a 2-1 win against Cruz Azul, of La Liga MX, in the Leagues Cup.

The 2022 World Cup winner is expected to make his MLS debut sometime in August.