England fans fear a repeat as Argentina brings back famous World Cup colors

Argentina's Lionel Messi, front, and Switzerland's Fabian Rieder fight for the ball during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Kansas City, Mo. (AP)

NEW YORK, July 14: Argentina will don its dark blue away jersey for today’s World Cup semifinal against England, a choice that has revived memories of past encounters and sparked concern among Three Lions fans.

The three-time world champions usually line up in their iconic sky-blue-and-white striped shirts, but FIFA’s kit regulations mean the colors would clash with England’s traditional white home strip.

Despite being designated as the home side by FIFA, England will face an Argentina team wearing blue — a color that has carried painful memories for their supporters in previous World Cup meetings.

The Daily Mail highlighted the issue with the headline, “Is this a bad omen for England?” while many England fans on social media expressed hopes that their team could switch to its red away kit for the semifinal in Atlanta.

Argentina wore the same dark blue strip during the famous 1986 World Cup quarterfinal victory over England in Mexico, a match remembered for Diego Maradona’s controversial goal and his brilliant solo effort that is regarded as one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.

The kit itself became part of the story in 1986, as Argentina’s original dark shirts were considered too heavy for the conditions in Mexico City. Team officials later bought lighter versions from a local market and added the national crest before the match.

The dark blue jersey appeared again when Argentina met England in the 1998 World Cup round of 16 in France. Argentina advanced after a penalty shootout following a dramatic match that saw England star David Beckham sent off.

England’s only World Cup triumph came in 1966, when the team famously wore its red kit in the final.