Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Latin Times
Latin Times
Lifestyle
Alicia Civita

Rocky's World Cup Curse? Influencer Beta Mejía and Ecuador Learned the Hard Way: Philadelphia Is Warning Everyone Else

Philadelphia World Cup Ecuador Rocky Balboa Brazil Croatia Curaçao France Ghana Haiti

Philadelphia tourism officials are leaning into one of the city's strangest sports superstitions after Ecuador became the latest team linked to the infamous "Rocky Statue Curse," during the team's first match in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a tongue-in-cheek Instagram post published by Pennsylvania tourism authorities, World Cup delegations from Brazil, Haiti, France, Iraq, Curaçao, Croatia, and Ghana were welcomed to Philadelphia with one important piece of advice: don't dress Rocky Balboa in your team's colors. The post specifically referenced Ecuador's experience last weekend and warned visiting nations about what locals call the "Rocky Statue Curse."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
US Schools Record Nearly 12,000 Book Bans, the Highest Ever in a Single Year, as 'Jane Eyre' and 'Lessons in Chemistry' Join the List
PEN America reports nearly 12,000 book-ban instances in US schools, a record total, as Texas overtakes Florida and AI tools enter the removal process.
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Alice Zaslavsky’s shortcut beetroot baked risotto – recipe
An unconventional technique makes this vibrant rice – finished with dill fronds – a lower-touch dinner for weeknights
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Does your sleep tracker get it right? A Pittsburgh neuroscientist weighs in
On a typical night, I go to bed wearing a tracking watch on one wrist and another type of tracker on the other wrist. Then I compare their sleep findings while I drink my morning coffee.
The Conversation
The Conversation
There's A Reason Taxi Cabs Are Almost Always Yellow
Yellow taxis are easy to spot in traffic, but the color's history goes far beyond simple visibility.
Motor1
Motor1
How ‘technoference’ can disrupt parent-child connections
Have you ever been telling someone a story when their phone lights up, and their eyes flicker toward their device?
The Conversation
The Conversation
Holding Lightning by Emily Lordi review – an intimate portrait of Whitney Houston
An empathetic biography of the the singer recasts her tumultuous later career as a triumph of self-expression
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play