The report says hundreds of people queued at a distribution stand on June 19, with each person allowed to collect up to two wristbands. Organisers expected to hand out around 10,000 that day, up from 6,000 distributed at the Bay Area’s opening match on June 13.
Seven designs were available, including versions linked to Mexico, United States, Canada, , the Bay Area and the two teams playing that day. The variety has helped turn a free promotional item into a tournament keepsake.
The reported resale market has given the wristbands a second life away from the stadium. One listing was advertised for $60, while another reportedly reached $500.
Those are asking prices rather than confirmed sales, but the gap underlines the speculative nature of the market. Scarcity, team-specific designs and the rush to collect items tied to individual matches have created a familiar tournament dynamic: a giveaway becomes a badge of attendance, then a potential collector’s item.
The campaign itself is described as much larger than the Bay Area queues. The report says the bank is distributing more than 2 million free wristbands in red, blue and black, with more than 10 million planned across 11 host cities.
Distribution is expected to continue around upcoming matches at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, beginning with Jordan vs Algeria on June 22 and continuing with Paraguay vs Australia on June 25.
The next storyline is whether supply can keep pace with demand-or whether more fans will join the queues hoping to secure a free wristband before the tournament’s final whistle.