Did Brazil fans consciously avoid the Rocky statue for luck?

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Brazil fans consciously avoided dressing the Rocky statue for the “Rocky curse.”
Brazil supporters in Philadelphia deliberately did not dress the Rocky Balboa statue or stage the usual mass celebrations on the “Rocky Steps” ahead of kickoff. The decision was tied to the so-called “Rocky curse”, a superstition among visiting supporters that interfering with the statue brings bad luck.
Brazil’s 3-0 win came after avoiding the statue
Brazil beat Haiti 3-0 in a 2026 World Cup Group C match in Philadelphia on June 20. The coverage framed the result as coming with “nerves and superstition” kept under control, pointing directly to what Brazil supporters did before kickoff.
The “Rocky curse” centres on the statue outside the museum
The superstition is linked to the bronze Rocky Balboa statue outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, associated with the fictional boxer played by Sylvester Stallone. Traditionally, visiting fans gather on the steps to celebrate and often dress the statue in their team colours as a pre-match ritual.
Some supporters believe dressing the statue has led to losses
Over time, some visiting supporters came to believe that dressing or interfering with the statue brings bad luck, citing a reported pattern of visiting teams failing to win after such displays. The idea gained renewed attention when Ecuador fans decorated the statue in national colours before Ecuador’s 1-0 defeat by Ivory Coast on June 14, a match decided by an Amad Diallo goal in the 90th minute.
Brazil supporters opted not to dress the statue or celebrate on the steps
Brazil supporters, aware of the growing superstition, chose not to dress the statue in team colours and did not stage the usual mass celebrations on the Rocky Steps. The match then followed with Brazil delivering a controlled, dominant performance, and the 3-0 win strengthening their position in Group C while keeping their discipline “on and off the pitch.”

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Did Brazil fans consciously avoid the Rocky statue for luck?

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