Thousands of Iraq, France Fans Flood Philadelphia Ahead of 5 p.m. World Cup Match

Q: Did Iraqi fans curse their team by placing a France jersey on Philadelphia's iconic Rocky statue?

No. If anything, under Philadelphia’s local superstition, Iraqi fans were trying to jinx France, not Iraq. Reports from Sunday’s fan marches say Iraqi supporters placed a France jersey on the Rocky statue after gathering at City Hall and marching to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. That act fits into the city’s long-running “Rocky statue curse” lore, which holds that teams associated with dressing the statue often go on to lose. The warning was public enough that Visit Pennsylvania reportedly told World Cup delegations not to dress the statue. The superstition has been reinforced by recent examples cited locally, including Ecuador’s loss after its colors appeared on the statue, as well as past NFL cases involving visiting teams. In this case, though, Iraqi fans did not place an Iraq shirt on Rocky. They put a France jersey on the statue. In the logic of the superstition, that would be read as bad luck for France, the opponent, rather than for Iraq itself. Whether it has any real effect is another matter. There is no evidence the gesture can influence a match result, and France still entered Monday’s game as the overwhelming favorite based on FIFA ranking, form, and betting odds. But as a matter of Philadelphia sports folklore, the move would generally be interpreted as an attempted curse on France, not a self-inflicted one on Iraq.

3 articles · Updated · WPVI-TV · Jun 22

Thousands of Iraqi and French supporters packed Center City and the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Sunday, turning Philadelphia into a pre-match rally site before Monday’s 5 p.m. World Cup game.
Iraqi fans framed the gathering as a historic moment because Iraq is back at the World Cup after a 40-year absence, marching from City Hall to the Rocky steps with flags, drums and chants.
French supporters gathered first in Chinatown and later joined the crowds near the museum, with many voicing confidence that Les Bleus will beat Iraq and push toward the final.
By Sunday night, the celebrations had spilled into Philadelphia sports iconography, with Iraqi fans placing a France jersey on the Rocky statue as anticipation built for the match.