England prepare for Brazil, kit controversy and Harry Kane's absence

England’s preparations for Euro 2024 officially begin tonight when they take on Brazil in a high-profile friendly at Wembley Stadium – following backlash over changes to the St George’s cross on their shirts , the England team wore the new jersey for the first time.

The row started after Nike revealed it had changed the traditional England flag red cross on the back of the shirt’s collar to introduce purple and blue stripes.

England head coach Gareth Southgate Insisting the Three Lions crest is the most important part of the national team’s jersey and not the “artistic element” on the St George’s Cross.

“In my opinion, if it’s not a red cross on a white background, it’s not the St. George’s Cross,” he said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the leader of the Labor Party Sir Keir Starmer was one of many to criticize the decision to change the color of the St. George cross on the back of his collar.

However, the FA stuck to the controversial design of the new kit and said it was “extremely proud” of the red and white St George’s Cross but backed the new look.

A spokesman said: “England’s new 2024 home shirt features a number of design elements that pay homage to the 1966 World Cup-winning team.”

“The colorful trim on the cuffs is inspired by the training kit worn by England’s heroes in 1966, and the same color is used on the back of the collar.

“This is not the first time a different color St George’s Cross design has been used on England shirts.

“We are very proud of the red and white St George’s Cross, the flag of England. We understand what it means to our fans and how it unites and inspires and it will be displayed prominently at Wembley Stadium… … It’s always been the same – when England plays Brazil.”

Nike issued a statement It said it was not “intended to offend” but was “a celebration of the heroes of 1966 and their achievements.”

The US company said: “We have been a proud partner of The Football Association since 2012 and understand the significance and importance of St George’s Cross.”

“The trim on the cuffs is inspired by the training kit worn by England’s heroes in 1966, with a gradient of blue and red, topped by purple. The back of the collar also interprets the national flag in the same colours.”

What is the origin of the Cross of St. George?

St. George’s Cross is the flag of England, with a red cross on a white background.

The standard dates back to the time of the Crusades, with two colors used to distinguish British and French armies.

The red cross on a white background subsequently became a symbol of religious military operations and was used by many countries to express support for religious military operations.

The first record of the flag being associated with St. George is in Genoa, which in the 12th century regarded him as the incarnated patron saint of Christian chivalry.

Saint George was a soldier in the Roman army who allegedly killed a dragon to save a Libyan princess.

When he was rewarded by the king, he distributed all his money to the poor and converted to Christianity.

He was martyred in AD 303 for refusing to renounce his faith.

In 1348, England made him its patron saint.

In 1552, during the English Reformation under King Edward VI, all saints’ flags except that of St. George were abolished and the flag of St. George was adopted as the royal standard.

In 1606, the flag was incorporated into the official design of the Union Jack, uniting the then four nations.

The Anglican church is still widely used today, and the St. George’s flag is often flown.

Recently, the coat of arms of the United Kingdom has been flown at sporting events to represent the country.

The flag is flown together with the Union Jack on St George’s Day, celebrated on 23 April every year.

As of 5 a.m. Saturday, a Change.org petition calling for the design change had attracted more than 35,000 signatures.

Kit pricing has also been criticized.

The ‘authentic’ version costs £124.99 for adults and £119.99 for children, while the ‘stadium’ version costs £84.99 for children and £64.99 for children.

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Five-time World Cup winners Brazil will wear blue jerseys at Wembley Stadium instead of the famous yellow jerseys as they look to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

Brazil lost to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina in World Cup qualifying last year and start 2024 as underdogs against England under new coach Dorival Junior.

captain Harry Kane Left out of Friday’s game. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka also exited the squad through injury on Thursday.

England vice-captains Jordan Henderson and Cole Palmer are still in camp but have also missed the game.

Manchester United Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, 18, who has impressed in Erik ten Hag’s side, was promoted from the England Under-21s earlier this week for consideration Due to injury concerns in his position, he could make his debut against Brazil.

Despite the absence, England are favorites to win.

Southgate said: “There are a lot of games against strong teams where we don’t have a great record and this team managed to beat Italy and Spain twice is an example of that.”

“So, this is another opportunity for us to make more history for these kids.

“But we’re also going to be tested in every aspect of the game and that’s going to be a big challenge for us.”