When the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles meet at Brazil’s Neo Química Arena on Friday night (8:15 p.m. ET; Peacock) in the NFL’s first game in South America, the color green will be a big topic.
The reason for that is that Neo Química Arena is home to soccer side Corinthians, a club that is adverse to green due to its rivalry with Palmeiras that dates back over a century.
When the NFL announced the teams would be going to São Paulo, Brazil, and playing at Neo Química Arena, there was talk that Corinthians would not allow either team to wear green for the game. Some believed it was due to the soccer rivalry, while others, like Packers running back Josh Jacobs, claimed it was gang-related.
The league was quick to shoot down those rumors, saying the color ban that applies to the soccer club would not affect what the Packers and Eagles would wear.
As the home team for the game, the Eagles will play to the Corinthians fans’ rooting interests by wearing black helmets, white jerseys and black pants — the same colors as the soccer team. The “visiting” Packers will sport their traditional white, yellow and green jerseys with yellow helmets and yellow pants
“We thought the uniform combination that we’ve never worn before was a unique nod to them, and it got us away from the green jersey,” said Eagles assistant general manager Jon Ferrari via PHLY’s Jon Berman. “I wouldn’t say that we were prohibited from wearing the green jersey, anything like that. … The uniqueness of the game, the uniqueness of the color combination was what made that decision.”
There was a slip up, however, this week as Jaire Alexander and Hugo Souza of Corinthians swapped jerseys with the Packers cornerback presenting the goalkeeper with a green Packers jerseys.
That didn’t sit well with some Corinthians fans as Palmeiras fans have claimed the Packers as their team for Friday night and will be wearing green among the expected crowd of 42,000.
How serious does Corinthians and its fanbase take the matter of the color green? Just ask former forward Jô, who was fined in 2021 for wearing green cleats.
Sponsors also need to abide by the rule if they want to do business with the club.
When the game finally gets underway, the Corinthian fans in attendance will take to the Eagles and the Palmeiras fans will hop on board the Packers’ bandwagon, if only for one evening.