Neymar's appearance in a red jersey sparks controversy across Brazil.

Neymar's appearance in a red jersey sparks controversy across Brazil.

A potential change in Brazil’s iconic football jersey has ignited a nationwide controversy that cuts across sports and politics. The catalyst? A rumored crimson (dark red) kit linked to the Brazilian national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup — a color many associate with the country's political left.

The uproar began after reports, including one from The Guardian, revealed that the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) was considering launching a red jersey in partnership with Nike. Traditionally, Brazil’s home kit is yellow and their away kit is blue — a combination cherished since 1958.

But the idea of adopting red — a color closely tied to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Workers’ Party (PT), and grassroots leftist movements like the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) — has drawn fierce backlash from conservatives and right-wing figures.

Romeu Zema, the governor of Minas Gerais and an ally of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, posted a video dramatically throwing down a mock-up of the red jersey, declaring, “Our team’s jersey will never be red, nor will our country.” Bolsonaro’s son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, echoed that sentiment: “Our flag is not red — it will never be.”

The slogan “Our flag will never be red!” — once a rallying cry for Bolsonaro supporters — has now resurfaced in the context of football, highlighting Brazil’s deeply polarized society.

Yet opposition to the red jersey isn’t confined to politics. Many football fans, regardless of ideology, see the proposed color change as an unnecessary break from tradition. Iconic football commentator Galvão Bueno called the move a “crime” and “a huge insult to our national football history.”

The controversy intensified after the football website Footy Headlines leaked an image of the supposed jersey. The CBF quickly responded, stating that the design was unofficial and that discussions with Nike were still ongoing.

Meanwhile, reactions from the political left have been mixed. Some progressives welcome the change, viewing it as a reclamation of the national team’s image. “I will proudly wear the red jersey,” wrote journalist Millie Lacombe. “Red means revolution, change, struggle, birth, death, and rebirth.”

However, even among leftist voices, not everyone agrees. Prominent football writer Juca Kfouri criticized the idea, saying, “Red isn’t associated with Brazil in that way.” Still, he acknowledged the country’s historical connections to the color — from its name, derived from the redwood tree pau-brasil, to its early 19th-century flag.

Kfouri believes the jersey debate may be a political “trial balloon” — an attempt to test public sentiment. He also noted that it distracts from more pressing concerns, including the CBF’s struggles to secure a head coach and lingering corruption allegations.

As the conversation around the jersey continues, it has become clear that in Brazil, even the color of a football shirt can become a flashpoint in the country’s ongoing identity and political battles.