Kabbalah or FIFA rules? Why will Messi’s Argentina wear ‘lucky’ navy kits against England in the semi-finals? football news
Defending champions Argentina will have another exciting showdown with England in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, but it’s more than just a game Lionel Messi and the company’s attention-grabbing opening. When two of football’s heavyweights take to the pitch, Argentina will wear their iconic dark blue away kit rather than the famous sky blue and white stripes, a decision that has sparked widespread debate among fans.While FIFA’s kit regulations are believed to be the main reason behind the change, many Argentina supporters believe the choice is more than just a matter of color coordination. For them, the blue jersey carries the memory of the country’s two most famous World Cup victories against England.
conspiracy Promoting Argentinian rituals
The most iconic was the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals, when Diego Maradona Two unforgettable goals inspired Argentina to a 2-1 victory, one of which will forever be known as the “Hand of God” and the other widely regarded as the “Goal of the Century”. Maradona and his teammates wore dark blue jerseys that day, making it one of the most recognizable jerseys in football history.Twelve years later, Argentina faced England again at the World Cup, this time in the Round of 16 in 1998. Wearing the same blue stripes, they won a thrilling 2-2 draw on penalties, further reinforcing the shirt’s association with the Three Lions’ success.These historic wins caused a stir in the Argentinian media, with the team specifically requesting to wear the blue stripes again in Wednesday’s semi-finals in the hope that history can repeat itself. This may be one of the reasons for this request in Argentina, as we all know the importance of superstition or Kabbalah in Argentine culture, especially in football.
However, there is another, more practical explanation.
FIFA generally prefers teams to wear their primary jersey whenever possible. But when the colors of the participating teams do not provide sufficient contrast, the governing body can require a side to switch to an alternate strip. The policy also takes into account color-vision deficient spectators by maintaining a combination of light and dark jerseys to ensure clear distinction between the two teams. Argentina will only wear the blue away jersey once during the 2026 World Cup, when they beat Jordan 3-1 in the group stage. Messi’s side have been wearing their traditional home colors for the rest of the game.Interestingly, not all memories associated with blue shirts are happy ones. Argentina wore dark blue jerseys in the 1990 and 2014 World Cup finals, losing to Germany both times. By contrast, Messi finally lifted the World Cup trophy in Qatar in 2022 wearing Argentina’s classic sky blue and white jersey.
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