Pennsylvania Issues Warning to World Cup Teams Over Rocky Statue

Pennsylvania tourism authorities have issued a peculiar warning to World Cup teams and their supporters: refrain from dressing the iconic Rocky Balboa statue in Philadelphia with team jerseys. The appeal comes after fans of Ecuador adorned the monument, located beside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with a yellow shirt following their team's 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast. This act revived the local superstition known as the 'Rocky statue curse.' This superstition has been anecdotally linked to the downfall of several NFL teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers, after their fans similarly dressed the statue. With Philadelphia set to host five more World Cup matches, the message is directed at the delegations of Brazil, Haiti, France, Iraq, Curacao, Croatia, and Ghana. While the city anticipates welcoming them enthusiastically, officials are making it clear that Rocky does not need to wear their colors.