People are only just discovering why England's football team plays in white and blue kits instead of red for their home matches. The reason dates back over a century.
England's World Cup 2026 Campaign Begins
England finally kick off their World Cup 2026 campaign on Wednesday night as new boss Thomas Tuchel looks to end 60 years of hurt and bring football home. The group stage opener against Croatia will be broadcast on ITV1 from 9pm.
Throughout each tournament, many football fans wonder why England wears white and blue kits rather than the famous red strip worn when England won the World Cup in 1966.
This tournament, England's home kit is all-white with blue accents, including the blue Nike swoosh and minimal red. The away kit is red with navy blue accents. Blue features prominently on both kits, despite not being on the England flag, the St George's Cross.
This is similar to the Netherlands playing in orange and Italy in blue, neither of which appear in their flags.
The Historic Reason
The answer goes back to England's earliest games. Football fans on forums have noted that in 1982, England had a red, white, and blue kit, which seemed odd since they weren't representing all of Britain. Italy plays in blue, but their flag isn't blue—that relates to a pre-war flag.
The reason is partly due to the Three Lions on the shirt. The England badge is predominantly blue, and that colour is often used for shorts or accent colours, as well as trim on the white shirt like the collar. One forum fan explained: "Blue is the most dominant colour in the England badge. The away kit tends to be red. Covered."
Why Is the Home Kit White?
The reason is due to Scotland. Way back in 1872, England faced Scotland, who wore an all-navy blue kit because they all played for Queen's Park at the time. England needed a different kit to avoid clashing. The theory is that the FA supplied a white kit sourced from cricket spares.
Even after that, some international games, like England versus Wales, saw players wearing different kits from their clubs. The press pressured for matching kits, and the all-white strip with navy shorts was born.
Although the famous red shirt from England's 1966 World Cup victory is iconic, the tradition of white and blue kits goes back much further. It has also been suggested that the FA picked navy blue for the England badge to differentiate from the German badge at the time.
