FRANCE will be wearing their white kit yet again as they face Spain in the semi-finals of Euro 2024.
It is the fifth time in six matches in Germany that Didier Deschamps‘ team have turned out in their change strip.
But why are Les Bleus not wearing their traditional shirt?
France have traditionally worn blue shirts for much of the last 100 years.
The first France international match, played in 1904, saw the side turn out in an all white kit, and they played in one during the early 1920s.
However, France wore a blue kit in the 1930 World Cup and that has been their official home colour ever since.
The kit has nearly always been paired with white shorts and red socks – evoking the French Tricolore – although in the last decade they have regularly worn blue shorts and/or socks.
Their away kit has been a variation of a white shirt with blue or white socks and red trim since the 1960s.
During Euro 2024, however, France have not often been seen in blue.
The match against Spain will be the fifth time in the tournament out of six matches that they have decided to pick the white ‘away’ strip.
There has been no official reason why France are wearing white instead of blue.
France are down as the away side in the match against Spain and some observers have pointed to that as the reason for France being in white.
However, there is no requirement for France to wear an away kit, despite being named as the away side in the fixture, when there is no kit clash.
Germany wore their white home kit when they were the ‘away’ side against Spain in the last round but also wore their pink and purple away strip when the ‘home’ side against Hungary in the group stage.
Similarly, France wore their white kit against Belgium in the last 16 despite Les Bleus being the ‘home’ side and their being no kit clash with the Red Devils.
France also seemingly could have worn blue against Austria (who play in red), the Netherlands (orange) and Portugal (red).
Therefore, it appears that the French squad are choosing to play in white rather than blue as a preference, with any further reasoning unclear.
Spain wins: 16
France wins: 13
Draws: 7
Last fixture: France 2-1 Spain, Uefa Nations League Final – October 10, 2021
