Is there a Trump sports curse? Argentina loss after Messi comments reignite possibility
usatoday.com
Trump praised Messi before Argentina lost — and now fans are asking whether the president's endorsement is a curse in disguise.
Illusory CorrelationConfirmation BiasSuperstition and Ritual BehaviorAvailability Heuristic
Theory Briefing
- Trump's comments about Lionel Messi preceded an Argentina loss, reigniting a pattern fans are calling a presidential curse.
- Multiple prior examples of Trump praising teams or athletes before bad results are cited as evidence of the supposed jinx.
- The phenomenon lives in the same space as sports superstition — fans connecting unrelated events into a compelling cause-and-effect story.
- Whether it's coincidence or selective memory, the 'Trump curse' framing has enough examples to keep the debate alive.