Why Argentina is wearing 'lucky' navy blue away jerseys against England

Many sports teams and players have various superstitions they take part in to mentally have a better chance at finding success. For Argentina facing England at the World Cup, that means wearing their navy blue kit instead of their iconic sky blue and white striped uniform.

In the past, La Albiceleste has played against England twice in the World Cup tournament while wearing their navy blue uniforms. The result, amid chaos on the route, was victory both times at the 1986 and 1998 World Cups.

Argentina appears to be doing everything in its power to ensure they have the best chance at defending its 2022 World Cup title. England will be looking to both end their streak of losing to a navy-colored Argentina and win their first semifinal match since 1966.

Here's the rundown on Argentina's history of wearing navy blue kits against England at the World Cup.

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Why Argentina is wearing blue jerseys against England

Argentina opted to wear their navy blue kits for England ahead of their semifinal clash on Wednesday. According to the BBC, many media outlets have reported that Argentina has opted to wear these blue jerseys against England due to past success.

During their World Cup history, Argentina wore their navy blue uniforms against England twice and won both of their matches. La Albiceleste lost their next game against The Three Lions at the 2002 World Cup when wearing their classic sky blue and white striped kit.

Here's a closer look at the history behind Argentina's decision to wear a dark blue kit.

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Argentina record in blue jerseys vs. England

According to the BBC, Argentina is 2-0 against England in World Cup matches when they wear their navy blue kits. Both of La Albiceleste's wins against The Three Lions were significant matches during the tournament.

1986 World Cup Quarterfinal

Argentina first wore their navy uniforms against England ahead of their famous 1986 World Cup quarterfinal match. The game remained scoreless through the first half at Edson Passos in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In the second half, however, chaos ensued. In the 52nd minute, Argentinian star Diego Maradona used his hand to punch a goal into the net. Despite numerous protests from the English side, who had seen how the Argentine had scored, Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser allowed the goal for La Albiceleste.

Here is a look at Maradona's "Hand of God" goal to put the Argentinians ahead:

Maradona would score a second goal just three short minutes later, and Argentina looked well on their way to the semifinal. Gary Lineker was able to score for England in the 81st minute, but it was too little too late, and a handball that was luckily never seen pushed Argentina onward to eventually win the 1986 World Cup.

1998 World Cup Round of 16

Argentina vs. England's match at the 1998 World Cup also had its theatrics, but was perhaps even more chaotic. At Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in France, Argentinian Gabriel Bautista converted on a penalty after Diego Simeone was tripped by England goalkeeper David Seaman inside of the box. 

Just four minutes later, Michael Owen was tripped inside of Argentina's box, which allowed Alan Shearer to score a penalty goal for England. Shortly after Shearer converted from the spot, Owen again ran through La Albiceleste's defense and scored a top-notch goal to put the English up 2-1 inside of the first 20 minutes. During stoppage time in the first half, Javier Zanetti scored off a free-kick assist that served as the match's final goal in regulation.

The game's main focal point came in the beginning of the second half. England's 23-year-old star David Beckham controversially earned a red card after appearing to trip Simeone around midfield. After an ensuing argument between Shearer, Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen, and multiple players from Team Argentina, Nielsen pulled into his pocket to pull out a red card.

The game extended through extra time and into a penalty shootout. La Albiceleste was able to down England 4-3 in that shootout and advance to the quarterfinal.

Here are the full highlights for the Round of 16 match:

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