Argentina’s dark blue away jersey has long been seen as “cursed” by many. La Albiceleste lost to Germany on penalties in the 1990 World Cup final while wearing this blue jersey, denying Diego Maradona back-to-back World Cup titles.
Despite fielding a talented squad at the 2002 World Cup, Marcelo Bielsa’s team was eliminated in the group stage while wearing the away jersey. At the 2006 World Cup, Argentina again faced Germany — this time exiting on penalties after leading the match and making the puzzling decision not to field Lionel Messi.
The pattern didn’t end there. Even in the 2014 World Cup final, Argentina’s title hopes were dashed by Germany while wearing the blue jersey. This time, however, La Albiceleste wore that same “cursed” blue for a high-stakes clash against England in the 2026 World Cup semi-final — and came out victorious.
Against England specifically, Argentina has proven that blue isn’t just a color of heartbreak. Every time they’ve worn the blue jersey against England at the World Cup, La Albiceleste have come out on top.
The Three Blue-Jersey Wins Over England:
First win (1986): Argentina beat England 2-1 in the World Cup quarter-finals in Mexico while wearing the blue jersey. That match gave the football world two of its most iconic moments from Diego Maradona — the infamous “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century,” in which he beat five defenders.
Second win (1998): La Albiceleste faced England again in the round of 16 at the World Cup in France. After a 2-2 draw following regulation and extra time, the match went to penalties, where Argentina, once again in blue, defeated England 4-3.
Third win (2026): Hoping to summon their old “lucky charm,” Argentina wore the special blue away kit again for the 2026 World Cup semi-final. Despite trailing until the 84th minute, the reigning champions advanced to the final for the second consecutive time with a 2-1 win, powered by goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez — both assisted by a pair of magical passes from Lionel Messi.
