Kim Kardashian
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Kim Kardashian is facing fresh scrutiny from football fans after a string of high‑profile matches she attended ended in gruesome injuries, shock defeats and even boos for Lionel Messi, just as she and her son Saint prepare to attend 2026 FIFA World Cup games in the US and abroad in the coming weeks.

For context, whispers about a supposed Kim Kardashian 'soccer curse' began to grow last year as supporters noticed an awkward pattern. The reality star, 45, has been criss‑crossing Europe and the US with 10‑year‑old Saint, a devoted football obsessive, turning up at some of the sport's biggest clubs and stadiums. On several of those nights, teams crumbled, players limped off and title ambitions stalled.

There is no evidence she has anything to do with the outcomes, of course, but that has not stopped fans stitching the events together into a running joke that veers, at times, into genuine irritation.

Arsenal's Europa League Blow Fuels Kim Kardashian 'Curse' Talk

The first big flashpoint for the Kim Kardashian theory came on 16 March 2023 at Emirates Stadium in London, where she and Saint were guests for Arsenal's UEFA Europa League round‑of‑16 second leg against Sporting CP.

Photos obtained by The US Sun showed Saint beaming in a red‑and‑white Arsenal shirt, pointing towards the pitch from an exclusive fan section. Kim, in a white zip‑up top under a long coat, looked engaged in the action, sitting alongside her son and his friends.

On the pitch, things quickly began to unravel. Early in the game, Arsenal right‑back Takehiro Tomiyasu went down with a knee problem and had to come off. Centre‑back William Saliba soon followed, hobbling out with a back injury. Both incidents were significant setbacks for Mikel Arteta's side, and they cast a shadow over a tense, draining contest that would go the distance.

Arsenal eventually lost 5‑3 on penalties after a 1‑1 draw on the night and 3‑3 on aggregate, the first penalty shootout ever staged at Emirates Stadium. The combination of two defensive injuries and a chaotic exit from Europe was enough for some supporters online to decide that Kim Kardashian's presence had somehow 'jinxed' the club.

There is no official suggestion from Arsenal that the celebrity guest list played any role in the defeat. Still, among superstitious fans already prone to reading omens into missed chances and injuries, the timing was too juicy to ignore.

Paris Saint‑Germain Stumble As Kim Kardashian Watches On

If Arsenal was written off by some as an unlucky one‑off, the narrative hardened three days later. On 19 March 2023, Kim Kardashian, Saint and her sister Kendall Jenner were in Paris at Parc des Princes for Paris Saint‑Germain's Ligue 1 match against Stade Rennes.

This time Kim wore a black leather trenchcoat, while Saint layered a grey T‑shirt over a black hoodie as they posed for selfies pitch‑side before taking their seats in a closed‑off area. Once again, the evening veered away from what home fans had hoped to see.

Rennes beat PSG 2‑0, ending the club's 35‑match winning run at home in Ligue 1. The French champions also saw four players ruled out, a major blow to their defensive options and a reminder of just how fragile even star‑studded squads can be over a long season.

Lionel Messi, Saint's footballing idol, did not escape unscathed either, at least in terms of reception. According to reports, the World Cup winner was heavily booed when the starting line‑ups were read, a symptom of growing frustration with PSG's European record.

For those already muttering about Kim Kardashian's impact on football fortunes, the combination of injuries, a landmark home loss and the hostile treatment of its biggest name felt like another data point for the 'curse' file.

Again, nothing about the evening suggests anything more than coincidence. Clubs have not commented on the fan narrative, and injuries remain an unavoidable part of elite sport. But the pattern was now being tracked in real time by supporters on social media, many of whom are primed to connect dots, fairly or not, when a global celebrity enters their world.

Messi Meetings, Real Madrid Trip And A Nike Tie‑In

Away from the supposed soccer hex, Kim Kardashian has clearly been using football to connect with Saint and, in typical Kardashian fashion, to build new professional links.

In July 2023 she took him to Florida to see Lionel Messi's debut for Inter Miami. The pair later reunited in Los Angeles in February 2024, when Saint was chosen as Messi's official player mascot for Inter Miami's match against LA Galaxy. He held the Argentine's hand as the team walked through the tunnel before kick‑off, in front of a crowd that included Halle Berry, Edward Norton, Hilary Duff and Lil Wayne. That game finished 1‑1, providing neither a convincing win nor a dramatic collapse for the curse theorists to chew on.

On 25 August 2024, Kim treated Saint to another dream venue, Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Photos published by The U.S. Sun showed her watching from the sidelines as her son played on the pitch, dressed in white shorts, a light blue jersey and white boots. Kim, for once, kept it low‑key in baggy grey sweatpants, a tight black vest and a black baseball cap.

The football focus has also spilled into work. The Hulu star has collaborated with Nike on a soccer‑themed project featuring Saint. On Wednesday she shared an Instagram image from the shoot, curled up on a camping chair on a grass field as Saint hugs her from behind, surrounded by balls and training gear, captioned 'SOCCER SAINT. Watch now @nike.'

With more than 100 matches scheduled across six weeks from 17 June to 19 July, the 2026 World Cup will be the biggest in the tournament's history, with fixtures in the United States and internationally. Organisers will welcome Kim Kardashian's reach and the visibility she brings. Some managers and fans, though, will quietly hope that if she does turn up in their stands, the only drama comes from the football rather than any repeat of that now‑familiar pattern of injuries and upsets.

Nothing about the so‑called 'soccer curse' has been confirmed, and there is no evidence linking Kim Kardashian's attendance to on‑field events, so all such claims should be taken with a grain of salt.

IBTimes UK has reached out to Kim Kardashian's reps for comments.

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