Brazil go yellow (1954)

We’re so used to seeing the Brazil national team in their distinctive yellow and green kit that it’s almost as though it’s always been that way, when actually, their colours were only a relatively recent acquisition. Brazil played all in white up until the 1950 World Cup final for which they were the host nation. They reached the final only to lose to Uruguay in the infamous Maracanazo and that prompted the Federation to do away with the white kit, in a bid to erase every trace of consciousness about that fateful final which put a black mark against goalkeeper Moacir Barbosa for the rest of his career. Brazil took that humiliation so badly, that it was two days before national team coach Flávio Costa dared to leave the stadium; he tried to make an inconspicuous exit, dressed as one of the cleaning staff. For a while Brazil played in a full royal blue kit – not that their luck changed much – they crashed out of the Copa América in Lima, losing to Paraguay.

Following that, national newspaper Correio da Manhá organized a competition, asking the public to come up with ideas for a new kit on the condition that it included colours from the national flag: yellow, green, blue and white. One of those who put forward a design was the graphic designer who created the official poster for World Cup Brazil 50, but his proposal – green shirt, white shorts and yellow socks was rejected. The winner was a 19-old-old illustrator working at a newspaper in the south of Brazil, called Aldyr Garcia Schlee. His design was the now classic yellow jersey with green trimming on the collar and cuffs, blue shorts and white socks. Brazil inaugurated their new uniform against Chile and it brought them luck – they won.

Brazil continued with their new kit at World Cup Switzerland ’54 but ended being eliminated by Hungary in the so-called 'Battle of Berne'. But at that time, Hungary were considered the best national team in the world which softened the blow and defeat wasn’t considered a complete fiasco. Brazil finally won the trophy in the following edition, but not in their lucky yellow kit … at least in the final, in which they faced Sweden, who as the home team wore yellow jerseys while Brazil wore royal blue. Since then the Seleção have won more World Cups than any other country and are the only team to have played in every tournament since 1930.