👀 Memories of 2014! Why Germany are in all-white today

👀 Memories of 2014! Why Germany are in all-white today The German national team will take on Paraguay in the World Cup round of 32 wearing a different look than in two of their three previous group matches — this time all in white. But why the change? On Monday evening, the DFB team returns to its so-called “winning outfit” for the knockout clash with Paraguay. While Germany had already worn its white home kit in the emphatic 7-1 win over Curaçao and the 2-1 victory against Ivory Coast, the team had to switch to the blue away kit in the 1-2 defeat to Ecuador on FIFA’s instructions. Compared with the first two matches, however, there is one key difference: instead of the traditional black shorts, the national team will this time pair the white shirt with white shorts and white socks. The reason is organizational: Paraguay will be dressed entirely in dark navy blue — including the shorts. To ensure the clearest possible color contrast between the two teams and improve visibility for people with color vision deficiency, FIFA makes sure there are strong contrasts in match kits. Although Germany is officially listed as the home team, the federation does not decide the final color combination. According to the DFB, that decision lies with the referee. Since Germany has both black and white shorts available, the selection is made depending on the opponent’s kit — in this case by referee Jalal Jayed of Morocco. FIFA decides in advance which colors teams will wear in their group-stage matches. This takes into account not only the kits of outfield players and goalkeepers, but also the clothing of referees, substitutes, and ball kids. At the same time, a certain degree of flexibility remains until the pre-match meeting.  The all-white combination also carries historical significance for the national team and brings back memories of 2014. That year, Germany won the fourth World Cup title in its history wearing the same color scheme. The white shorts were introduced for the first time at that tournament in Brazil and brought the DFB team the success it had long been waiting for. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.