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Football

29th May 2024

The reason why Germany wear white on their kit even though it doesn’t feature on their flag

Callum Boyle

The German flag is a tricolour of red, black and yellow

Germany are gearing up to host Euro 2024 in the coming weeks and are one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

The last few years at major international tournaments have been extremely disappointing for the 2014 World Cup winners but under Julian Nagelsmann and a fresh team containing Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala, optimism is beginning to return.

As well as their decorated history, Germany have also produced some truly stunning kits over the years. however unlike most nations, their traditional colours don’t feature as one of the main colours on their kit.

Instead of the red, black and yellow, Germany’s kit is white. This is connected to the area known as Prussia, the historic state that spanned from Russia to the western border of France.

A part of the German empire, Prussia donned a white flag with a black cross in the middle that was later replaced by the Eagle that we now see on the modern day kits.

Officially formed in 1899, Germany decided to keep on the white colours belonging to Prussia – even though the Kingdom of Prussia ended nearly two decades later.

Germany Euro 2024

Other nations that follow suit

Germany aren’t the only nation to wear colours that don’t feature on their flag.

The Netherlands play in orange, even though their flag is red, white and blue. Italy wear blue despite not having blue in their flag, as blue is the colour of the Royal House of Savoy, the former royal house of the country.

Nagelsmann’s side will kick off the tournament on June 14 against Scotland and will also face Switzerland and Hungary in Group A.

Related links:

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10