You might not think of light blue and pink as colors associated with Belgium, but there’s a reason why they’re wearing these special kits for their biggest game of the World Cup.
On Monday night, Belgium took on the United States in the Round of 16, with a matchup against Spain in the quarterfinals on the line. While the United States took to the pitch in their dark blue away jerseys, Belgium went with their away kit as well, which features a light blue background and pink half circles scattered across.
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So, what’s the reasoning behind this odd combination for Belgium? According to the Royal Belgian Football Association, it’s to honor artist René Magritte and the Belgian Surrealism movement.
The new away kit is a tribute to Belgian artist René Magritte and the art movement known as Belgian Surrealism. The light blue, pink, and white kit features black details. Fitting the theme of surrealism, the eye-catching graphic print will trigger the imagination and spark conversation. The print is a playful nod to Magritte’s work. Others will recognize elements of the RBFA crest, or symbols of the game of football, like the ball and lines of a pitch. A twist on Magritte’s The Treachery of Images ‘Ceci n’est pas une pipe’ (This is not a pipe) is visible as subtle detail in the neck of jersey: “Ceci n’est pas un maillot” (This is not a jersey).
