The psychological role that superstitions or “lucky charms” play, even at the highest levels of sport, was further demonstrated ahead of the Argentina-England clash. Amid the swirling debate over Argentina’s decision to ditch their sky-blue-and-white jerseys for the semi-final in favor of a dark blue “away kit,” England coach Thomas Tuchel revealed an unexpectedly superstitious side of himself. Far from dismissing Argentina’s jersey choice as unscientific, Tuchel admitted with a smile at the press conference that he too has some “secret superstitions” for coping with pressure on the pitch.
Argentina’s blue jersey is woven into some of the greatest memories in World Cup history — and, many would argue, a touch of luck. As the reigning world champions face England in today’s semi-final in Atlanta, Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez will set aside their familiar sky-blue-and-white shirts and take to the field in this dark blue alternate kit instead.
Argentina wore the same dark blue jerseys against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, defeating the English 2-1 on the back of Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal and his solo effort later recognized as the “Goal of the Century.”
Exactly 12 years later, the two sides met again in the round of 16 at the 1998 World Cup in France, once more with Argentina wearing the dark blue jersey. Argentina eliminated England from that tournament as well, winning on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw.
England coach Thomas Tuchel seems to understand the psychology behind his opponents’ jersey choice quite well. The German coach told reporters at a press conference, “If there was a superstition behind the jerseys, I would have done the same thing. So I have to give them credit for that. To be honest, I wasn’t aware of it beforehand.” Tuchel candidly admitted that superstition and lucky charms carry real influence, even at the highest levels of professional sport.
He added with a laugh, “I have my own superstitions and routines, but I won’t tell you what they are — because another superstition is that once you tell someone, the trick stops working! We have certain routines that help us stay calm and grounded throughout the day, and those won’t change. Of course, we have our own lucky charms too — that’s very normal in professional sports.”
While history and superstition appear to play a role in the jersey choice, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was reluctant to dwell too much on the subject. “I didn’t personally say anything about wearing the blue jersey,” he said. “I don’t know who decided it, but maybe it’s just tradition. I’m honestly not sure, so I can’t really comment. If Thomas (Tuchel) has no objection to it, then I’ll say the same.”
Argentina’s dark blue jersey design draws directly from the country’s own culture, featuring a blue “fileteado” motif set against a black-and-beige background. Fileteado is a traditional, UNESCO-recognized form of decorative art and calligraphy originating in Buenos Aires, typically characterized by vivid colors, intricate floral patterns, three-dimensional shading, and an elaborate Gothic-style typography.
