Although red is associated with several of the most famous national teams in football history and is considered part of the identity of major sides on the world stage, the World Cup record reveals a fact that may surprise many: only once has a champion lifted the trophy after playing the final in a red shirt — and that colour was not even the team's primary kit, but rather its change strip. And it was not, of course, the Spain national team, which claimed its only title wearing its dark blue change kit against the Netherlands.
History shows that England is the only team to have won the world title while playing the final in a red shirt as an away kit.
This occurred in the 1966 World Cup final, when Wembley Stadium hosted the historic clash between England and West Germany. The hosts took to the field in red rather than their customary white, before going on to win 4-2 after extra time to claim the first and only world title in their history.
Despite the decades that have passed since that triumph, England's red shirt has remained one of the most iconic kits in World Cup final history — particularly thanks to the immortal image of captain Bobby Moore lifting the trophy after the victory, a moment that has become one of the most celebrated in English football.
On the other hand, many believe that Spain joined this list after winning the 2010 World Cup, owing to the spread of images showing La Roja players celebrating in red shirts while lifting the trophy. The truth, however, is that Spain played the final against the Netherlands in a dark blue change kit — the very shirt in which Andrés Iniesta scored his famous goal in extra time.
From the first World Cup in 1930 through to the Qatar 2022 tournament, the colours worn by champions in the final have varied widely, with white, blue, yellow, and sky blue all making appearances. Red, however, has remained a rarity, linked to a single English night at Wembley in 1966.