Neymar, switch uniforms with Lee Kang-in this time…
Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), the ace of the Brazilian national soccer team, and Lee Kang-in (Mayorca), the youngest member of the Korean national soccer team, exchanged uniforms after the round of 16 at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
According to a video posted on Twitter by the U.S. Spanish media “Telemundo Deportes” on the 6th (Korea time), Neymar met Lee Kang-in and shook hands on his way to the locker room after the game. Neymar then hit Lee Kang-in’s arm with his hand and sent a sign to exchange uniforms. Neymar took off his uniform first, and Lee Kang-in also took off his uniform and exchanged it with each other. Lee Kang-in gave Neymar his uniform and winked. Neymar has exchanged uniforms with Son Heung-min (Tottenham) since the warm-up match held in Seoul in June.
As such, it is common to see them exchange uniforms with players from the other team after a soccer game. It means mutual respect, encouragement, and friendship. Since when did this culture take hold? According to FIFA data, the exchange of uniforms in soccer began in 1931. In 1931, when Les Bleus (France) was not yet a world-class soccer power, France beat England 5-2 in a friendly match in Colombe, France, and French players suggested exchanging uniforms to commemorate it.
The International Football Federation said the World Cup began exchanging uniforms at the 1954 Swiss tournament. In particular, after Brazil’s Pele, who was the “best striker” at the 1970 Mexico World Cup, and England’s Bobby Moore, who was the “best defender,” exchanged uniforms, the culture of exchanging uniforms among soccer players is known to have spread.