PHILADELPHIA, June 20 — Brazil eased to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Haiti in Philadelphia in their 2026 World Cup Group C match today, extending their strong start to the tournament while keeping nerves – and superstition – firmly in check.

The result this morning added fresh fuel to a growing fan theory that Brazil’s cautious approach to the so-called “Rocky curse” may have helped preserve their winning momentum.

The “Rocky curse” is a long-running superstition among visiting supporters in Philadelphia, centred on the bronze statue of fictional boxer Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone) outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Traditionally, fans of visiting teams gather on the famous steps to celebrate and often dress the statue in their team colours, turning it into a pre-match ritual.

But over time, some supporters have come to believe that interfering with the statue brings bad luck, after a string of visiting teams reportedly failed to win following such displays.

The idea gained renewed attention last week when Ecuador fans decorated the statue in national colours before their 1-0 defeat to Ivory Coast on June 14, a result sealed by a late Amad Diallo goal in the 90th minute.

Amad Diallo scored in the 90th minute to lift Ivory Coast to a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in its first World Cup appearance in a dozen years.

That outcome quickly became part of online folklore, with fans jokingly attributing Ecuador’s loss to the “curse”, even as others dismissed it as coincidence.

Brazil supporters, aware of the growing superstition, opted not to dress the statue or stage the usual mass celebrations on the Rocky Steps ahead of kickoff.

Even Philadelphia tourism voices joined the tongue-in-cheek narrative, reminding visiting fans that “Rocky does not need your kit”, as thousands still gathered across the city.

Kickoff took place at 8pm local time in the United States (8am Malaysia time today), with Brazil delivering a controlled, dominant performance from start to finish.

The 3-0 win over Haiti strengthened their position in Group C and maintained their perfect discipline on and off the pitch.

While there is no evidence linking superstition to performance, supporters embraced the narrative that avoiding the “curse” had kept Brazil’s campaign on track.

For now, Rocky remains untouched, Brazil remain unbeaten, and the myth – at least among fans – continues to linger.

The official photographer for the Iraq national football team, Talal Salah, was detained for 10 hours when trying to enter the United States with the rest of the Iraqi team and staff. Salah was eventually denied entry to the U.S. ahead of the 2026 World Cup, meaning the team will be without its official photographer for its first World Cup appearance in 40 years.

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KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — Fifa’s obsession with “clean stadiums” has turned this World Cup into a branding hide and seek game, with organisers scrambling to cover up logos and sponsors in ways that are sometimes more comical than convincing.

According to The Athletic, the 39 day tournament requires host stadiums to remove or conceal all non Fifa sponsor logos, a process that has led to curious sights for fans and media alike.

At the Levi’s Stadium in California, where the venue has been temporarily rebranded as “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium”, fans noticed the iconic Levi’s logo covered only by a sheet, prompting the jeans maker to poke fun online with a viral TikTok clip.

Similar measures have appeared elsewhere. 

In Boston, Gillette Stadium’s credit card machines were replaced, while in Philadelphia blue tape covered parts of signage at Lincoln Financial Field. At MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, site of the July 19 final, organisers masked most references but the venue’s name remained faintly visible behind boards, and cupholders still bore the logo.

Inside venues, the rules extend to the smallest details, The Athletic reported. At Levi’s Stadium’s press box, apparently, condiment bottles had their labels taped over.

Despite the challenges, it would seem that organisers have largely managed to comply, ensuring that non Fifa branding is rarely visible.

SANTA CLARA (‌California), June 19 — Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro yesterday vented his fury over criticism his players endured after their opening World Cup hammering by the United States, telling media to lay off his team and send all of ‌the punches his way.

Alfaro took full responsibility for Paraguay’s 4-1 defeat by co-hosts the United States last week and said his players must be left alone so they can get their Group D campaign back on track today against Turkiye.

“Criticise me. You can shoot at me but not at them. Protect them. You know why? Because when the World Cup is over, I will be gone, but they will stay. They will remain and they will keep on representing the country,” Alfaro said, waving his finger repeatedly during a packed press conference.

“Please hit me. Hit me. I’m going to chin up and take all of your punches. But I’m only asking you to defend the ‌players, they are the most valuable asset that the national team has.”

Paraguay, known as “La Albirroja”, last ⁠played in the World Cup in 2010, where they ⁠were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in a dramatic quarter-final that ⁠marked their best run in the ⁠tournament.

There will be little ⁠room for error for either Paraguay or Turkiye in the San Francisco Bay Area today after both sides suffered opening-game defeats, with Turkiye beaten 2-0 by Australia.

The two sides will have an idea ⁠mathematically of the task ahead, with the United States taking on Australia in Seattle earlier in the day.

‘You can destroy the coach, that’s fine’

Alfaro said Paraguay had been “overwhelmed and steamrolled on all fronts” against the United States but had since regrouped and would put up a good fight against Turkiye.

But as he tried to focus on the upcoming match, he became visibly vexed by questions about ⁠his opening game selection and went into another long tirade.

“I closed the US chapter on Saturday and you’re bringing me back to this US chapter. Tomorrow, we have a final ⁠against Turkiye,” he said.

“They are here, representing seven million people. So I would like to see you defending ⁠that jersey ... ⁠you can destroy the coach, that is fine.”

Midfielder Matias Galarza sat beside Alfaro, looking awkward at times during a heated press conference that ran well over the allotted time.

“Well, it’s difficult to speak now, isn’t it,” Galarza said, ‌drawing laughter from the media.

“Obviously that game was a shock to us... The US game chapter is closed and tomorrow we have a final, and that’s how we see it.” — Reuters