5 min readJun 20, 2026 09:21 AM IST
First published on: Jun 20, 2026 at 09:00 AM IST
The grey stone steps, 72 to be exact, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art leads to the iconic “Rocky Statue”. The fictional Rocky Balboa character that Sylvester Stallone played in the eponymous movie is cast in bronze in his characteristic two-fist victory pose. Tourists recreate the famous scene where Rocky, in his comeback quest, breeze up the stairs, bloodshot eyes and the eternal sports anthem, Survivors’ Eye of the Tiger ringing in the background.
But sports fans are careful about visiting the site; they are careful not to put their jersey or flag on him. The Rocky Curse has struck fear in them. The belief goes that if fans drape their team’s jersey or wrap him in the flag, they would invariably lose. Brazilian fans in the stadium and in the food court near the Centre Market were heard asking each other grimly, putting their festivities aside: “Did you put the jersey or flag on Rocky?” A negative nod, accompanied by a shudder, brings instant relief and a tight embrace.
Created as a prop by sculptor A. Thomas Schomberg for the 1982 film “Rocky III”: it has become embedded in Philadelphia culture, and stands as a metaphor of the film’s lasting cultural impact. Stallone himself had donated the statue to the museum at the turn of the decade.
Origins of curse
The origins of the curse are unknown but recent, but it began with NFL side New England Patriots dressing up Rocky in a Tom Brady shirt and they lost to the Eagles in the Super Bowl. Five years later, San Francisco 49ers kitted him in their attire before the NFC championship, and they lost 31-7. Washington Commanders endured the same fate against Eagles last year, and a jinx was born. So players, support staff and fans carefully avoid putting the flag or kit on him. A rumour goes that a Washington fan tried to reverse jinx by placing an Eagles jersey on the statue. It didn’t work — curses have a conscience, too.
It has become an urban legend of sorts that Philadelphia tourism issued a warning to the fans on an Instagram post: “As good hosts, we’d like to share some information about a well-documented phenomenon in Philly: The Rocky Statue Curse. We regret this communication was not shared before last weekend but, here we are,” it read.
“Countless football teams (as in, American Football, not Fútbol — same curse, different sport) have all dressed the Rocky Statue in their colors and gone on to lose. Ecuador dressed Rocky last weekend. Coincidence? Sadly, history says no. Philadelphia can’t wait to host you! (but Rocky does not need your kit),” it explained.
Unbeknownst to the curse, an Ecuador fan Gigio Benavides, a fan of Rocky, stitched a shirt by himself, printed Rocky’s name on the back and travelled 3,000 miles from his village for his country’s match against Ecuador last week. He measured the statue through online pictures to ensure the shirt would fit. Above Rocky’s name, he inscribed: “Dream, transcend, and make history.: “Rocky is an example of discipline and consistency. He was always facing people who had so much more, but he never gave up. We needed that spirit,” he told a newspaper back home before travelling,
Brazilian and other soccer fans climb the steps leading to the Rocky statue, marked with a FIFA World Cup logo, in Philadelphia, on Thursday, June 18, 2026, ahead of Friday’s FIFA World Cup Group C match between Brazil and Haiti. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
The day before the game, he arrived in Philadelphia, visited his shrine and squeezed the jersey onto his muscular frame with the help of fellow fans. He reached the hotel, and to his shock, hate messages flooded his inbox. But he thought: “Maybe Ecuador could break Rocky’s curse and set the city free.” It was not to be, as Ivory Coast netted a goal in the 90th minute to break his heart and embellish the Rocky curse. “I was crying so much that the guys from Brazil and Boston hugged me,” he said.
Benavides’ misfortune served as a forewarning for Brazil’s fans who have painted the city in yellow. Alex, who came from Sao Paulo says, “We were not aware of it, and would have done the same. We, too, had brought double XL jerseys for him. Thankfully, someone in the fan group shared a video of his and we were very careful not to put anything Brazil related on his statue.”
Haiti’s fans too were wary, even if their odds to stunning Brazil was negligible. Joseph Ehiogene, who came from Miami, a state with a sizable Brazilian population, too was informed of the curse before he caught the flight. “I was anyway not planning that, but I could tell others. I don’t believe in curses, but I don’t want to take any chances,” he said.
Coincidence or a curse, fans don’t want to invoke Rocky’s wrath.
Visitors gather around the Rocky Statue during RockyFest 2024 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Dec. 3, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa, File) 
Brazilian and other soccer fans climb the steps leading to the Rocky statue, marked with a FIFA World Cup logo, in Philadelphia, on Thursday, June 18, 2026, ahead of Friday’s FIFA World Cup Group C match between Brazil and Haiti. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
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