Every soccer team has a unique look jersey. There are innumerable iconic soccer jerseys, from Real Madrid’s royal white to Argentina’s legendary stripes. Still, few are synonymous with success and history as Brazil’s canarinho: the unmistakable vibrant yellow base with green accents. On the backs of players like Pele, Jairzinho, Zico, Romario, and Socrates, who elevated the Brazil national team to new heights in the second half of the 20th century, the Brazil soccer jersey has become synonymous with glamour, magic, and fun of the game. [1]
At the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, Brazil was torn between embracing tradition and looking ahead to the future. Hence, officials did something unprecedented, and it just happened to coincide with the Seleção’s greatest ever generation.
Origin Of An Iconic Look
The Brazilian national team originally donned white kits with blue collars. Still, after the Maracanaço, the cataclysmic defeat to Uruguay at the 1950 World Cup final in front of over 200 thousand stunned home fans, the soccer jersey was deemed not patriotic enough.
With that in mind, Rio-based newspaper Correio da Manhã ran a competition for supporters to mail in new brazil soccer jersey designs resembling the country’s flag while seeking renewal in the mood of the nation. Over 300 designers competed for the new jersey, according to the newspaper.
The contest rules stipulated that designers should consider the entire kit, including the Brazil jersey, shorts, and socks. Additionally, the selected winner design could be applied to other sports at Brazil’s Government’s discretion.
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It also stipulated that the soccer jerseys had to contain the CBD symbol and not have the national flag or the words “Brazil” on them.
The contest winner was Aldyr Garcia Schlee, a 19-year-old from Pelotas in Southern Brazil. He came up with the now-legendary combination of the yellow-and-green shirt with blue-and-white shorts.
At the time of the contest, the designer of the new Brazil soccer jersey was working as an illustrator for a local newspaper in Pelotas, and the Rio Grande do Sul. When he was a teenager, he practiced sketching while sitting in the stands of stadiums. His graphic reproductions of goals were printed in Uruguayan newspapers.
1858 World Cup Final
The yellow jersey soon became associated with good luck among Brazilian fans. In spite of this, in the 1958 World Cup final, they did not enter the soccer stadium wearing the “canarinho” shirt. It had been decided by FIFA that Sweden, the home team, would wear their official shirt.
Brazil had to improvise with their backup soccer jersey because both teams wore yellow. Brazil’s soccer jersey would be blue for the final, the mantle color of St. Aparecida, Brazil’s patron saint. Although they went on to win the final, Brazil national team was the first to lift the Jules Rimet Trophy in that unique golden-yellow shade in 1962.
Tradition Or Future?
By the time the 1970 World Cup came around, the new brazil soccer jersey was already iconic after the Seleção conquered the world consecutively between 1958 and 1962. But with the latest edition of football’s showpiece event on the horizon, there was some uncertainty as to who Brazil’s soccer jersey manufacturer would be.
Athleta, a local business, had been the national side’s primary manufacturer since providing it with the original canarinho in 1954. But English outfitter Umbro was making waves and expanding rapidly; it also occasionally worked with Brazil before, supplying the soccer jerseys worn at the triumphant 1958 and 1962 tournaments.
So a decision had to be made: Would the South Americans support their local community or keep up with the latest trend? In the end, they did both.
Brazil Soccer Jersey Compromise
The Brazil national team decided it would wear Athleta kits in the first half of each game and then change to Umbro at halftime, except for the final, where the latter was worn for the entirety of the match.
The only slight difference between the two sets of outfits was that the numbers on the Umbro jersey were rounder. It was an unprecedented decision that won’t ever be repeated in today’s fiercely commercialized game.
The 1970 World Cup wasn’t just the first time a global audience could appreciate Brazil’s soccer jersey in all their colorful brilliance. They also witnessed a golden generation that played equally vibrant soccer and ultimately lifted the enigmatic Jules Rimet Trophy.
The Nike Deal
It was the largest deal ever involving a national team when Nike signed a £100m deal with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in 1996. Nike was both the supplier of Brazil soccer jersey sports kits and the team’s co-sponsor.
During the 1998 World Cup final, doubts grew about the Nike deal. Not because the Brazil national team lost. Instead, the mysterious events surrounding their star player raised questions.
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A mysterious incident occurred before the match involving Ronaldo. According to rumors, Nike – which sponsors the striker personally – insists he plays against medical advice. Since he was the marketing campaign’s poster boy, he felt pressure to perform.
Although a commission looked into the 1998 World Cup failure, Nike was not charged or blamed for losing the final. They continue to manufacture the Brazil soccer jersey.
New Brasil Soccer Jersey Crest
A new crest was adopted on the Brasil soccer jersey in 2020.
The cross, the shield, and the color palette have not changed in the new graphic logo crest. CBF is written in a softer, more harmonious font. For a more bold and less institutional effect, the stripes on the economy of the crest are bolder and cut the outer edge of the shield.
The Brasil soccer jersey update is part of a larger trend of “graphic transitions” experienced by clubs and national teams, moving to lighter, simpler crests that resemble brand logos rather than old-fashioned badges.
Brazil Soccer Jersey Facts
- In the South American tournament in 1916, held in Argentina, Brazil got to wear green and yellow for the first time. These colors were abandoned after being rejected by the Brazilian elite: they were not satisfied with using national colors in a football team uniform!
- In the month leading up to the 2018 World Cup, over 90,000 Brazil soccer jerseys were sold online in the USA between Jan-June. Around the world, it was reported to be almost 500,000 jerseys. This was times more than any other country.
- Nike profits $17 USD per Brazil soccer jersey sold.
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Buy A Brazil Soccer Jersey
Gold Replica Brazil National Team Jersey 2022
Visit our store to find official, national team-sanctioned Brazil soccer jerseys and apparel. We will outfit you with warm-up jackets, training jerseys, and more for this year’s 2022 FIFA World Cup.
We’ll ensure you’re armed and outfitted with products you can depend on, whether you’re here for the country, Neymar, Firmino, or any of the Brazil squad. All our clothing from the Brazil National team ships immediately, and with free shipping, it’s a no-brainer. Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and all other cards are accepted.
When purchasing your new soccer outfits, ensure the shirt has the new Brazil Soccer Team logo.
References:
[1]: www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/5-best-world-cup-football-kits-time
Images:
www.facebook.com/Handscareintl (main image)
https://www.yallakora.com/news/386608
Gilberto Perin
www.artsandculture.google.com/story/football-boots-the-evolution-of-soccer-in-footwear/pwXByNU2kA61Jg
www.soccerbible.com/news/2019/04/brazil-unveil-new-crest/
