Tuchel unaware of Argentina's 'lucky' kit request ahead of World Cup semi-final

Thomas Tuchel admitted he was completely unaware that Argentina had formally requested to wear their blue second strip for the World Cup semi-final against England in Atlanta, a kit associated with two of the most famous victories in the rivalry’s history.

The reigning champions were already designated Team B in the tournament bracket but still lodged a request to avoid their traditional white-and-blue home strip. The reasoning is rooted in a striking historical pattern: the two times Argentina wore their home kit against England at major tournaments — the 1966 and 2002 World Cups — they lost. In the two matches they wore their blue and navy second kit, in 1986 and 1998, they won, including the infamous Hand of God game.

When asked about the significance of the kit choice at a pre-match press conference, Tuchel was candid about his ignorance. “You talked to the wrong person, who was not aware of what kit we will be wearing until tomorrow’s warm-up,” he said. “Argentina plays in blue and we play in white — is that because it’s a lucky shirt or they chose this?” FA communications lead Andy Walker clarified the situation simply: “No, it’s because we were Team A.”

Tuchel, who described himself as a highly superstitious person, said he could not begrudge Argentina the move. “If there was any superstition then I would have done the same, so credit to Argentina,” he said. “I have my superstitious routines — you can call it superstitious or routines — I will not tell you that because if I tell you, it will not work. These things are just normal in high-level sport.”

The England manager was also effusive in his praise of Lionel Messi, who has scored eight goals in the tournament, and acknowledged he has considered deploying a man-marking system to limit the Inter Miami forward’s influence. “It’s just incredible this campaign, this tournament, how he carries that team,” Tuchel said. “There are no words left for this kind of achievement. He’s just a leader and the key player in any team that he plays.”

Despite the weight of history and the Messi factor, Tuchel struck a confident tone. “We are here to play our way, we are here to play the semi-final and play the luck our way. We’re ready for it.”