Newcastle United forced into mid-match kit change against Bayer Leverkusen

During a pre-season friendly at St James' Park, Newcastle United players were forced to change their kits mid-match due to a visual clash with Bayer Leverkusen's away strip. The confusion arose because Newcastle's black-and-white home kit, which features light blue details, closely resembled Leverkusen's pale mint and light blue away jerseys.

Around the 24th minute, following player complaints to officials, a decision was made during a hydration break to switch kits. Rather than returning to the dressing room, Newcastle players changed into their lilac third kits directly on the touchline. Because they kept their original black shorts and socks, the team played the remainder of the match in a mismatched uniform.

Bayer Leverkusen won the match 2-1, with goals from Ibrahim Maza and Victor Boniface, while Malick Thiaw scored for Newcastle. Leverkusen coach Carles Martínez noted that the kit change helped reduce on-pitch confusion.