How Brazil Got Their Iconic Yellow Jersey

There are things that we take for granted, things that we believe will never change. Brazil's soccer team wearing yellow shirts is one of those. The truth is that almost nothing stays the same, and change is constant.

Brazil always wore a white shirt until the infamous 1958 World Cup, where they lost against Uruguay while playing at home with 250 thousand Brazilians in attendance. One of the things to blame was the shirt, and they went to find a new one.

The following contest to pick the next shirt was won by Aldyr Schlee, with the now iconic yellow and blue shirt. The shirt, with some small variations in design, has been used ever since, with even the Brazil National team getting the nickname “Canarinha” (canary bird in Portuguese). A fun fact is that Aldyr, which is Brazilian but was born 1 mile from the Uruguay border, ended up supporting Uruguay in football throughout its life.

As we think the shirt will never change again, the rise of right-wing populism in Brazil and its association with the yellow shirt has started discussions if it should change. This a great reminder of how change is constant in life and how we should appreciate what we have in each moment.

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