England’s story is usually told in white. Occasionally in red. But every so often, blue appears and we’re reminded just how bloody good England look in it.
The England national team has worn blue shirts far less frequently than white or red, yet some of the most memorable and sought-after England football shirts have arrived in shades of blue. From World Cup away kits to forgotten Umbro classics and modern Nike releases, blue occupies a curious place in England’s kit history. Rarely seen, often loved and almost always remembered.
The first notable England blue shirt appeared at the 1950 World Cup. England had finally reached football’s biggest stage and packed a blue change kit for the journey to Brazil. It was born from necessity rather than design ambition, but it marked the beginning of a tradition that would quietly reappear throughout the decades.
Perhaps the most famous England blue kit arrived twenty years later. The pale blue away shirt worn at the 1970 World Cup remains one of the most distinctive shirts the national team has ever produced. Against the backdrop of Mexico’s sun-bleached stadiums, Bobby Moore and his teammates looked effortlessly stylish. More than half a century later, it remains one of the most recognisable England away shirts ever made.
Blue appeared only occasionally throughout the following decades. There are references to England wearing various shades during the 1980s, although photographic evidence is surprisingly scarce. Unlike the white home shirt and traditional red away shirt, blue never established itself as a permanent part of England’s identity. Instead, it surfaced briefly before disappearing again.
That scarcity is part of the appeal.
When Umbro unveiled its geometric blue away shirt in the early 1990s, the design immediately stood apart from anything that had come before it. Decorated with bold patterns and produced in a striking shade of sky blue, it had all the ingredients of a future classic. Yet the shirt was worn only once, against Turkey in a World Cup qualifier. Rather than diminishing its reputation, that rarity elevated it. Today it sits among the most coveted England shirts of the modern era.
The colour also found its way into England’s youth teams. Alan Shearer famously wore a blue England Under-21 shirt in the early 1990s, another reminder that some of the nation’s best football shirts have existed away from the senior side and outside major tournaments.
But there was no more iconic England blue shirt than the Umbro third shirt which was hardly ever worn in professional competition. For many, including us, it was one of our very first football shirts as children. Its design has never been seen again, making it forever nostalgic. It's a shirt that's playful, cool and, over 30 years later, looks as good as ever.
More recently, Nike’s royal blue England away kit for Euro 2020 arrived to widespread acclaim. Collectors loved it. Supporters loved it. It felt fresh while still drawing on England’s history of blue shirts. Yet England reached the final without ever needing to wear it. Once again, a blue England kit became memorable largely because it was barely seen on the pitch.
Maybe that’s why England’s blue shirts endure.
White carries expectation. Red carries memories of glory, heartbreak and everything in between. Blue feels different. Free from the weight of history, it exists almost entirely in the imagination. A colour associated less with results and more with possibility.
Or perhaps the explanation is much simpler.
England just look brilliant in blue.
