On the eve of Brazil’s Group C match against Haiti, a Brazilian supporter scaled the Rocky Balboa statue outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art and wrestled an Argentina replica shirt – complete with Lionel Messi’s number 10 and a dangling price tag – over the bronze shoulders. The act, captured in viral footage, was the culmination of a carefully choreographed operation by travelling fans to redirect a local sporting superstition towards the reigning world champions.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of Brazilian fans had gathered on the iconic “Rocky Steps” for a pre-match rally. Mindful of a belief that dressing the statue in a team’s colours brings defeat, they formed a human cordon and held signs warning against placing a Brazil shirt on the figure. The superstition, rooted in American football and reinforced when Ecuador’s national team lost to Ivory Coast after their jersey was draped on the statue earlier in the tournament, was taken seriously enough that no green-and-yellow garment came near the bronze. Instead, the crowd pivoted to a rival target.

The myth dates to 2002, when Green Bay Packers fans adorned the statue before a loss, and has since been embraced by Philadelphia’s tourism authorities as a playful caution. Viewed from the host city, the ritual is a piece of local folklore that visiting supporters have learned to respect. Brazilian fan groups, including the Green and Yellow Movement, had explicitly warned on social media that placing a Brazil shirt on Rocky was “totally forbidden.” The decision to instead apply an Argentina shirt was, in the words of one Brazilian outlet, a “brincadeira” – a jest – but one executed with the earnestness of true believers.

The episode added a layer of off-pitch theatre to the enduring football rivalry between South America’s two giants, even though they are not scheduled to meet in the group stage. Argentina and Brazil can only face each other in the knockout phase, and only in the final if both win their groups. Should either finish second, an earlier encounter in the round of 16 or quarter-finals becomes possible. The last World Cup meeting between the sides was in 1990, when Argentina edged Brazil 1-0 in the last 16.

Brazil’s immediate focus remained on the Haiti fixture, where a victory would strengthen their position atop Group C. The Albiceleste, meanwhile, were preparing for their own group-stage commitments, with the curse – if it exists – now symbolically draped across their shoulders. The statue, recently moved to the top of the steps, continued to draw thousands of visitors, its bronze form now temporarily bearing the colours of the defending champions.