(Reuters) – Argentina’s eye-catching purple away jersey at this year’s Qatar World Cup will also have a powerful message associated with it, with sportswear giant Adidas saying the choice of colour represented gender equality.
The two-times champions will wear a vibrant purple kit for the first time in their history with its fiery graphics inspired by the Sun of May on their national flag.
The shirt, a departure from the country’s traditional navy blue and black away kits that received widespread praise from fans online, was modelled by captain Lionel Messi after it was officially presented on Monday.
“The new away shirt of the national side transmits a powerful message of gender equality, aligned with the values of diversity and inclusion that our brand promotes,” Pablo Lamo, general manager of Adidas Argentina, said in a statement.
“Through sport we have the opportunity to change people’s lives, and soccer is one of the ideal tools to transform reality.”
Adidas added on their website that the garment was made with a yarn containing 50% Parley Ocean Plastic — reimagined plastic waste, intercepted on islands, beaches, coastal communities and shorelines, preventing it from polluting oceans.
The World Cup will begin on Nov. 20, with Argentina placed in Group C alongside Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
