FIFA Approves Argentina's Special Request Ahead of World Cup Semi-Final Clash With England
· YEN.com.gh News · Join- Argentina received FIFA approval to wear their navy blue kit against England in the World Cup semi-final
- The decision was linked to their victories over England while wearing the same colours in 1986 and 1998
- Fans have highlighted several historical similarities between Argentina's past World Cup runs and their 2026 campaign
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Argentina and England are set to renew their historic rivalry in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the South American giants have received an early boost ahead of the highly anticipated clash.
The three-time world champions reportedly requested permission to wear their navy blue away kit for the meeting, and FIFA has approved the request.
Source: Getty Images
Argentina Hope Navy Blue Brings More Success Against England
The reason behind Argentina's request appears to be linked to their previous encounters with England at the World Cup.
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Argentina won against England while wearing navy blue in both 1986 and 1998, but suffered defeats when wearing their traditional light blue and white striped home kit in 1966 and 2002.
FIFA has confirmed that England will wear an all-white kit, while Argentina will wear their change colours for the semi-final showdown.
The decision is not necessarily bad news for Thomas Tuchel's side, as England have also recorded important victories in this tournament while wearing all white.
However, memories of Argentina's previous World Cup meetings with England in the same kit combination remain painful for the Three Lions.
The 1986 clash featured Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal, while the 1998 meeting saw David Beckham sent off after kicking out at Diego Simeone before Argentina eventually won on penalties.
Argentina Fans Point to More World Cup Coincidences
According to Argentine publication TN, the kit decision has created excitement among supporters of the 2022 World Cup winners, who believe there are several positive signs ahead of the England clash.
Argentina's navy blue away kit has only been worn once during the 2026 tournament, during their group-stage victory over Jordan, but the historical connection with England has not gone unnoticed.
While Argentina secured their preferred kit choice, there has been no confirmation on whether England submitted a kit preference of their own.
The Three Lions wore all white during their quarter-final victory over Norway and their Round of 32 win against DR Congo. However, they wore a white shirt with blue shorts during their Round of 16 clash against Mexico.
The same TN report highlighted further similarities that have caught the attention of Argentina supporters.
Argentina topped their group unbeaten in both 1986 and 1998 before facing England, and they repeated that achievement in 2026 by winning all three group-stage matches.
However, the situation was different before the 1966 meeting, when England defeated Argentina 1-0 after Geoff Hurst scored the only goal of the game.
Another coincidence highlighted by supporters involves Argentina defenders scoring before World Cup meetings with England. In 1986 and 1998, a defender found the net before the clashes, and that pattern continued in 2026 with Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero scoring against Cape Verde and Egypt respectively.
England and France Confirm Semi-Final Kit Choices
England wore all white during the 1966 World Cup encounter against Argentina but used their red away kit when Beckham's penalty helped secure victory in the 2002 group-stage meeting.
Tuchel's team have worn their red change strip only once during the 2026 tournament, during their group-stage win over Panama.
FIFA has also confirmed the kit colours for the other semi-final, with France wearing blue shirts and white shorts, while Spain will line up in white shirts and red shorts.
Both teams wore different kit combinations during their respective quarter-final victories.
Source: YEN.com.gh