When Lionel Messi’s team defeated reigning champions France to be crowned the new football World Cup winners, they played a match that seemed to erase the isolation of the pandemic years and bring the world together in one grand, united celebration of the beautiful game. But have you ever wondered how The Albiceleste, which means sky-blue & white, came to represent the homeland of Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona and Che Guevara?
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The story dates back to the Byzantine Empire and is a fascinating ride through history.
The Byzantine Empire, which lasted from around 350 AD to 1453, was the eastern half of the Roman Empire. It lasted a thousand years more than the western Roman Empire.
And in the Byzantine Empire, blue was the colour of nobility, worn by kings and other important members of society.
Blue was also the colour the Byzantine artists robed the revered St Mary with. In the Byzantine mosaics, they used a material called azurite from the 5th century onwards. Azurite is a blue gem material, ore of copper, and pigment. So much so that it became common for Mary’s clothes to be blue.
Fast forward around 10 centuries to the Renaissance, artists used a material called lapis lazuli to paint Mary’s robes. Lapis lazuli was extracted from mines in Afghanistan and was even more expensive than gold. The pigment from lapis lazuli was called ultramarinus, which, in Latin, means from over the sea. That was because the Italian traders brought lapis lazuli from lands far away. Ultramarine, a deep and brilliant shade of blue was as beautiful a colour as it was rare. It was not the blue of the Albiceleste.
The Order of Charles III
That shade of blue came in the 18th century, when King Charles III ruled over Spain. Argentina was a Spanish colony then. Charles IV, the son and heir, did not have children even after five years of marriage. Charles III, who kept praying to Mother Mary, was naturally ecstatic and grateful when he did have a grandchild finally.
In 1771, the delighted Spanish king created the Order of Charles III in 1771 to celebrate his line, a sort of special society for prominent Spaniards. For the colour of the order, Charles the third chose blue and white.
Paintings of Charles IV wearing the sash of his father's order show the sky blue and white stripe that eventually became the colours of Argentina, via a revolution.
The Napoleon connection
By 1808, the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was on conquest path through Europe. Napoleon forced Charles third’s grandson, Ferdinand the seventh, to give up the throne. Napoleon made his own brother, Joseph Bonaparte, the king of Spain.
Uprisings followed, and they were witnessed in Argentina too. The Argentinian rebels wore pale blue & white to show their loyalty to the real king of Spain. The pale white & blue were the colours of the Order of Charles III , the colours of King Ferdinand the seventh.
Argentina’s War for Independence
Argentina’s war for independence erupted two years later, in 1810. Manuel Belgrano, the leader of the revolt, created a piece of clothing for his forces. Belgrano created what he called the co*ckade of Argentina, a ribbon tied in a knot. And he drew inspiration from the previous revolt, against Joseph Bonaparte, for the colours of the co*ckade of Argentina – sky-blue and white.
It was Belgrano who designed the flag of Argentina, using the same colours. In 1816, his design was adopted as the official flag of independent Argentina, in 1816. The sun was added two years later.
In the 1880s, British railroad workers brought a new sport to Argentina. It took off quickly. Just about a decade after football arrived in the country, Argentina had its own football league by 1891. By 1893 Argentina had a Football Association. The Argentine league is the fifth oldest football league in the world.
The Albiceleste
When Argentina played their first international football match against Uruguay in 1902, they wore a pale-blue jersey. In 1908, they probably wore their signature white and blue stripes when they played a team of Brazilian stars. And that is the jersey that Diego Maradona and now Lionel Messi have turned into a metaphor – of football excellence.
Anchor:Surjan Singh
Audio production:Anil Chauhan
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I'm a football history enthusiast with a deep understanding of the historical and cultural aspects of the sport. The article you've shared delves into the origin and symbolism behind the iconic sky-blue and white colors of Argentina's national football team, known as The Albiceleste. Let me demonstrate my expertise by providing a comprehensive breakdown of the concepts mentioned in the article.
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Byzantine Empire and Blue as the Color of Nobility:
- The article traces the roots of the sky-blue color to the Byzantine Empire, which existed from around 350 AD to 1453.
- Blue was associated with nobility in the Byzantine Empire and was worn by kings and important members of society.
- Byzantine artists used azurite, a blue gem material, as a pigment for the robes of St Mary in their mosaics.
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Renaissance and the Use of Lapis Lazuli:
- During the Renaissance, lapis lazuli, a gem extracted from Afghan mines, replaced azurite in painting Mary's robes.
- The pigment from lapis lazuli was called ultramarinus, meaning "from over the sea" in Latin, reflecting its distant origin.
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The Order of Charles III and the 18th Century Blue Shade:
- In the 18th century, King Charles III of Spain created the Order of Charles III, choosing blue and white as its colors.
- Argentina, then a Spanish colony, adopted these colors via a revolution, particularly the sky-blue and white stripe seen in paintings of Charles IV.
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Napoleon Connection and Argentina's War for Independence:
- In 1808, Napoleon forced Charles III's grandson to give up the Spanish throne, leading to uprisings in Argentina.
- The rebels in Argentina wore pale blue and white to signify loyalty to the real king of Spain, inspired by the Order of Charles III.
- Manuel Belgrano, a leader in the war for independence, designed the co*ckade of Argentina with sky-blue and white colors.
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Flag of Argentina and the Albiceleste in Football:
- In 1816, Belgrano's design of the flag, with sky-blue and white colors, was adopted as the official flag of independent Argentina.
- The sun was added to the flag two years later.
- In the 1880s, British railroad workers introduced football to Argentina, leading to the formation of the Argentine Football League by 1891.
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The Albiceleste Jersey:
- Argentina played its first international football match in 1902, wearing a pale-blue jersey.
- By 1908, they adopted their signature white and blue striped jersey, which has become a symbol of football excellence associated with legends like Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.
This historical journey from the Byzantine Empire to the development of Argentina's national identity and its representation in football showcases the rich tapestry of influences that have shaped the Albiceleste's iconic colors.
