Brazilian fans in Philadelphia took no chances ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C match against Haiti, forming a physical guard of honor around the iconic Rocky Balboa statue in Philadelphia preventing anyone from draping it in Brazilian colors.

The move was driven by a local superstition dubbed the “Rocky Curse,” which holds that any fan base that dresses the towering bronze statue in their team’s jersey or colors will curse their side to a knockout loss.

The curse gained fresh credibility during the tournament after an Ecuador fan placed a handmade jersey on the statue before their match, and Ecuador subsequently conceded a 90th-minute goal to lose to the Ivory Coast.

Brazilian fan group warns of “Rocky Curse”

According to AP, a Brazilian fan group called the Green and Yellow Movement issued an Instagram warning to traveling supporters: “It’s totally forbidden to put a Brazil shirt on the Rocky statue in Philly!”

Fans showed up in numbers, holding signs reading “Operation Protect Rocky” and actively stopping anyone from tempting fate.

The official Visit PA tourism board leaned into the lore on social media, warning international fans that “Rocky does not need your kit.”

In a bid to get at their fierce rivals, a group of Brazilian supporters allegedly placed an Argentina jersey on it instead in an attempt to trip up the defending champions at the tournament.

Brazil fans are not the only ones bringing a unique approach to the tournament. Norway traveled to the United States with 1,000kg of their own food for the World Cup, determined to stick to their own meal prep rather than rely on local options.

-Dexerto