Brazilian World Cup Fans Heed Rocky Statue Curse Warning in Philadelphia

Brazilian soccer fans attending the World Cup in Philadelphia are respecting a superstition surrounding the famous Rocky statue at the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, deliberately avoiding dressing the 9-foot-11, 1,300-pound bronze statue in team colors. The caution stems from a documented pattern of misfortune: teams that have adorned the statue with jerseys, scarves, and flags have subsequently suffered defeats. Most notably, Ecuador's national team dressed Rocky with a team jersey and flag before losing 1-0 to Ivory Coast in their opening World Cup match, a result that did not go unnoticed by Brazilian supporters.

In response to Ecuador's loss, Brazilian fan groups including the Green and Yellow Movement issued explicit warnings on Instagram urging visitors to keep their clothing to themselves. The message, written as "ATENCAO TORCEDOR" and translated to "It's totally forbidden to put a Brazil shirt on the Rocky statue in Philly," resonated with fans who have long observed the so-called Rocky curse affecting American football teams as well. Visit PA, the state's tourism board, also joined the campaign with a tongue-in-cheek warning that referenced Ivan Drago, noting that countless teams across sports have suffered defeats after dressing the statue.

The statue has become a pilgrimage site drawing approximately 4 million annual visitors, rivaling the Liberty Bell in foot traffic. Originally placed at the museum after filming of the Rocky movies, the bronze figure was relocated to South Philadelphia before returning to the museum steps in 2006. Brazilian fans visiting the site ahead of their team's Friday match against Haiti took the warnings seriously, opting instead to pose with the statue in its original bronze trunks and boots, mimicking Rocky's classic victory pose with raised arms rather than risk bad luck by adding their team's colors.