Brazil survived the ‘Rocky curse’, now France fans are told not to test it in Iraq match

• France play Iraq in next group match on Monday
• Ecuador lost to Ivory Coast after supporters draped Rocky statue in team colours
• Philadelphia’s police commissioner said fans now avoid the statue for fear of a jinx

PHILADELPHIA, June 22 — France supporters at the World Cup were issued an urgent warning on Saturday to keep their hands off Philadelphia’s iconic Rocky Balboa statue after a string of sporting misfortunes befell teams whose fans dared to dress it in their colours.

The official France supporters’ group has told travelling fans to steer clear of draping Sylvester Stallone’s famous fictional boxer in Les Bleus gear, citing Philadelphia sports folklore that has claimed several victims.

Ecuador discovered this the hard way when supporters draped the team’s yellow shirt and flag on Rocky’s shoulders before their group opener against Ivory Coast, only to see their team lose.

“Don’t touch Rocky! To all French people in Philadelphia we urge you to exercise the utmost caution,” the supporters’ group Irresistibles Francais said in a statement ahead of their next group match against Iraq on Monday.

“Under no circumstances should you put a Les Bleus shirt or scarf on the Rocky statue!

“Here, the local superstition is very clear: dressing Rocky in the colours of the opposition brings monumental bad luck and dooms the team to defeat (just ask NFL fans).”

Popular culture

France’s football team train at Bentley University in Waltham, near Boston, on June 20, 2026, during the 2026 World Cup football tournament. — AFP pic

The superstition grew into NFL popular culture as visiting fans who dressed Rocky in their team colours watched their hopes crumble.

The “Rocky curse” reached its peak in 2018 when New England Patriots fans placed a Tom Brady jersey on the statue and their team lost 41-33 to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

One desperate Ecuadorean fan later attempted to appease the statue’s wrath by leaving an offering of Encebollado – a South American dish – at the base of it.

“Apparently no one wants to put their shirt on Rocky now because that’s a jinx,” Kevin Bethel, the Police Commissioner for the City of Philadelphia, told Reuters.

“So we don’t have to worry about people climbing on and throwing their jersey on there unless they want to lose.”

Brazil fans were also warned not to drape gear on the 10-foot bronze statue ahead of their World Cup match against Haiti on Friday. Their team won 3-0. — Reuters