Barcelona have long been associated with their iconic blue and red striped jerseys, the colors they have donned while lifting major trophies throughout their illustrious history.

It has been worn by legendary figures like Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry, but what is the reason why the Blaugrana play in these colors?

Goal have a look.

Why are Barcelona wearing red and blue kits?

Barcelona have worn red and blue since their formation and have remained true to their signature color scheme for the many years since.

The club’s nickname “Blaugrana” comes from their dual color; in Catalan, “blau” means blue and “grana” means garnet.

The team’s home kit still features exclusively the iconic colors red and blue, with their red and blue striped jerseys and shorts dressed in a solid blue.

There are several rumors and theories as to how Barcelona specifically chose the colors red and blue. According to a tale, the son of the first president – Arthur Witty – said it was his father’s idea that the Barcelona colors match the Merchant Taylor School team (their family is British).

Another possibility, put forward by author Toni Strubell, is that the colors are inspired by Robespierre’s First Republic.

In Catalonia, however, the popular belief is that the colors were chosen by the club’s founder, Joan Gamper, as they are the same colors as his home team, Basel.

Why does Barcelona have the English flag on their crest?

What is now recognized as the English flag – a red cross on a white background – is in fact the Cross of Saint George.

St George is a legendary heroic military saint and crusader, his cross becoming the national flag of England since the beginning of the modern period.

He is known as the patron saint of England and Catalonia, known as Sant Jordi to the Catalans.

The flag of Barcelona itself incorporates the cross of St. George, the red and yellow stripes of the Senyera and the symbol of the crown of Aragorn.

The Barcelona crest, in turn, consists of the cross of St. George in the upper left corner, the Catalan flag next to it, and the team colors (blue and red) below.