Dear reader,
The Brazilian football team, the only country to win the World Cup five times, is known around the world for its iconic yellow shirt. Pelé, Zico, Romário, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Neymar are but a few of the football legends who have made their names in the unmistakable jersey.
But did you know Brazil didn't always wear yellow? In fact, for decades Brazil's national team shirt was white, only changing to the classic yellow with green trim after the 1950 World Cup.
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Best Regards,
The Brazilian Report staff
The Maracanazo
July 16, 1950 is engraved in the memory of Brazilian football. For the first time, the country had hosted the World Cup, and spirits were running high. Approximately 200,000 spectators flocked to the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro to watch the final match of the tournament, where Brazil needed simply to avoid defeat against neighbors Uruguay to be crowned world champions for the first time.
Expectations were huge, as Brazil had played superbly throughout the tournament. There seemed to be no possibility that Brazil could be denied their first trophy, yet they lost 2-1 to Uruguay, in what remains one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history. The Uruguayan press delighted in their victory, nicknaming it the Maracanazo, or the "Maracanã Blow."
Superstition?
After the tragic defeat, Brazilian football required some serious soul-searching. The "guilty" parties in the squad were singled out and vilified — not coincidentally, the team's black players shouldered most of the blame, thanks to the widespread racism that still existed in society at the time.
But there was a need for a change, and a clean slate, and the football governing body decided Brazil should scrap its all white kit, in favor of one that contained the colors of the national flag: green, yellow, blue, and white.
Rio de Janeiro newspaper Correio da Manhã organized a competition to choose a new national team strip, with the "new" and patriotic colors.
Camisa “canarinho”
The winner was Aldyr Garcia Schlee, a Brazilian from the border with Uruguay. His yellow shirt with green trim, blue shorts, and white socks was seen as the ideal design and was put into practice right away. Ironically, due to his upbringing, Aldyr didn't even support Brazil — preferring their 1950 rivals Uruguay.
In 1958, Brazil used their new yellow shirts all the way up to the final, but had to swap when taking on hosts Sweden, who also play in yellow. Brazil became champions after winning 5-2 — but they did so wearing blue.
