Argentina's dark blue jersey touted as lucky charm for World Cup semi against England

Argentina will wear its dark blue away kit in the World Cup semi‑final against England at Atlanta's Mercedes‑Benz Stadium. The shirt, featuring fileteado‑inspired motifs, recalls the alternate strip worn in the 1986 quarter‑final when Diego Maradona scored the "Hand of God" and the "Goal of the Century," and again in the 1998 round of 16 penalty shoot‑out win.

Both England manager Thomas Tuchel and Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledged the role of superstition in sport, though Scaloni downplayed any deliberate jersey choice. The team hopes the historical association will bring luck as they face England once more.

Media coverage also linked the blue shirt to Inter Milan, noting former Inter captain Javier Zanetti’s goal in the 1998 match while wearing the same number 22, and highlighting that current Inter forward Lautaro Martínez also wears 22. Separately, some English outlets have raised allegations that FIFA favours Messi and Argentina, accusing the governing body of bias in refereeing decisions throughout the tournament.