Argentina to wear dark blue kit against England in World Cup semifinal

By Arjun Sharma — 14 July 2026 — 3 min read

Argentina and England set for semifinal clash

Argentina, the defending champions, are scheduled to face England in a World Cup 2026 semifinal match in Atlanta on Wednesday. This highly anticipated fixture is drawing significant attention, particularly regarding ticket prices and team kits. The match is one of two semifinals, with the other featuring France and Spain in Dallas on Tuesday.

Tickets for the Argentina versus England semifinal have seen a substantial increase in price. According to TicketData.com, the price for this match reached $2,841 on Monday, marking a 34 percent increase over the past three days. Prices had peaked at $2,966 on Saturday before a slight dip to $2,537 the following morning. This makes it significantly more expensive than the other semifinal, where tickets were priced at $1,325 on Monday, a 26 percent decline over three days.

The high demand for the Argentina versus England match is partly attributed to Argentina‘s continued popularity. The city of Atlanta also has a strong Argentinian fan base, supported by the presence of former Argentina national team manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino as the head coach for Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Atlanta United FC.

Kit choice sparks discussion

For their semifinal encounter against England, Argentina will wear their dark blue away kit instead of their traditional sky-blue and white striped home jersey. This decision has generated considerable discussion among fans. While FIFA‘s kit regulations are believed to be the primary reason for the change, many supporters in Argentina view the blue jersey as carrying historical significance.

The dark blue kit is associated with two notable World Cup victories for Argentina against England. In the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal, Diego Maradona led Argentina to a 2-1 win while wearing the dark blue kit. Twelve years later, in the 1998 World Cup Round of 16, Argentina again prevailed over England in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw, also wearing the blue strip.

These historical connections have fueled speculation in Argentine media that the team might have requested to wear the blue kit for Wednesday’s semifinal, hoping to evoke past successes. Superstition, known as cábala, holds significant importance in Argentine culture, particularly in football.

FIFA regulations and ticket pricing

A more practical explanation for the kit change lies in FIFA‘s regulations. The governing body generally prefers teams to wear their primary kits, but it can require a switch to an alternate strip if the colours of the competing teams do not provide sufficient contrast. This policy also considers viewers with colour vision deficiency, aiming to ensure a clear distinction between the teams through a light-versus-dark kit combination.

Argentina has worn their blue away kit only once previously in the 2026 World Cup, during their 3-1 group-stage victory over Jordan. For the remainder of the tournament, Lionel Messi‘s side has appeared in their traditional home colours. It is worth noting that not all memories associated with the blue shirt are positive; Argentina wore the dark blue kit in the 1990 and 2014 FIFA World Cup finals, losing to Germany on both occasions.

The high cost of World Cup tickets has drawn criticism, with a fan group filing a lawsuit over what they termed “excessive ticket prices.” FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the pricing, citing US laws that permit tickets to be resold significantly above face value. Experts suggest that the allocation of 78 of the 104 matches to the US, a mature market with consumers willing to spend on sports, is a major factor. FIFA is believed to be utilising a dynamic ticket pricing model, where prices fluctuate based on demand, supply, and timing.

Tickets for the final in New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday remain at $6,760, a six percent decrease over the past 72 hours.

Source: aljazeera.com

Arjun Sharma

Sports Reporter