As the Brazil national football team prepares to face Scotland in their final group match of the World Cup on Wednesday, goalkeeper Alisson Becker will wear a green kit instead of the red uniform originally approved by FIFA. The change has sparked a political debate in Brazil, where the team’s traditional colors have become increasingly symbolic within the country’s polarized political landscape.

Brazil’s iconic national team jerseys—primarily yellow and green—have been closely associated in recent years with supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a prison sentence for his role in attempting to overturn the 2022 election results. Bolsonaro’s conservative and far-right base adopted the team’s colors as part of their political identity. Meanwhile, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in the 2022 elections and is seeking reelection this October, aims to reclaim the colors of Brazil’s flag in an effort to unify the country and counter Bolsonaro’s influence. Lula’s political coalition traditionally aligns with the color red, which is typically not part of the national team’s official gear.

FIFA had initially announced that Alisson would wear a fully red goalkeeper kit during the Group C match. The Liverpool goalkeeper wore black and pink kits in the team’s previous matches against Morocco and Haiti. However, just before Brazil’s critical game in Miami, the red kit was withdrawn, and the goalkeeper was seen sporting green instead.

The change was reportedly influenced by Samir Xaud, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), who told ESPN the decision had been planned for some time and aimed to emphasize the colors of the Brazilian flag. Xaud said in August that he requested Nike—the US-based sportswear company that has outfitted Brazil since 1996—to cancel the red kits, stating at the time that the decision was not politically motivated but intended to honor national colors.

The CBF later denied reports that Xaud had vetoed the red kit, explaining that FIFA had chosen the red option without realizing it was not included in Brazil’s official tournament apparel lineup.

The debate over the colors reflects deeper societal divisions in Brazil, where football and politics have become intertwined. Some Brazilians avoid wearing the traditional yellow and green jerseys to distance themselves from associations with Bolsonaro’s supporters, while others on the left have embraced unofficial red merchandise bearing the CBF crest or symbols linked to communist movements.

Lula weighed in on the controversy at a recent event in Rio de Janeiro, urging Brazilians to wear the national colors while explicitly rejecting any connection to Bolsonaro’s political faction. “We need to wear green and yellow and add ‘Not a Bolsonarist,’” he said. “During the World Cup, we should wear in yellow and green so we don’t let Brazil’s colours be taken over by any fascist.”