Officials at Monday evening’s Group H World Cup clash in Miami Gardens between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia will be wearing pink shirts in what FIFA says is a tribute to South Florida’s largest city.
Unofficially, it also could be a nod to the most well-known MLS club side outfitted by Adidas, the same manufacturer of referee uniforms at this year’s tournament.
Yes, pink flamingoes are synonymous with Miami. But the shade of pink and black trim for the shirts, shown on an image from FIFA’s official X account, are eerily similar to those worn by Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, the reigning 2025 MLS Cup champions.
That particularly could be annoying to Uruguay supporters, given Messi’s stature in the sport overall and in particular with defending champion Argentina, La Celeste’s biggest rival.
Messi and fellow Argentina national team midfielder Rodrigo de Paul are among 11 Miami players who can claim Argentinian nationality, according to the website Transfermarkt. Interim manager Guillermo Hoyos also is Argentinean, as are three of his assistants.
Miami also has two Uruguayan players.
But among them, the 39-year-old Luis Suarez announced his retirement from international soccer following the 2024 Copa America. Since then, he has been one of the more outspoken critics of current Uruguayan manager Marcelo Bielsa, who also is from Argentina.
Maxi Falcon, the Herons’ other Uruguayan, has never appeared for his senior national team.
In the soccer world, MLS and Adidas have a unique relationship as the outfitter of all 30 clubs. In most other competitions, clubs establish individual relationships with manufacturers.
Adidas has also outfitted World Cup referees since 1978, but this is the first time its trademark three-stripe design has been prominently featured on referee uniforms.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
