Ever thought your football team might be under a curse like Ted Lasso’s? Here’s how to lift it | Helen Pilcher
The concept of sports curses is explored, with examples from teams like Mayo and Birmingham City, where perceived hexes have led to decades of disappointment. These curses can have a psychological impact on players, creating a nocebo effect where negative expectations influence performance. By understanding the power of negative expectations and social contagion, teams can work to break the cycle and lift the curse.
- ▪Mayo's Gaelic football team won the All-Ireland title in 2026, ending a 75-year drought that some attributed to a curse.
- ▪The team's curse was said to have been placed by a local priest in 1951, declaring they would not win another final until every member of that team had died.
- ▪The nocebo effect, where negative expectations influence performance, can play a significant role in perpetuating sports curses.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — Science |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/09/football-team-curse-ted-lasso-mayo-birmingham-city |
| Publication time | Sun, 09 Aug 2026 07:00:09 GMT |
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Mayo celebrate winning the 2026 All-Ireland Gaelic football title after 75 years – and 11 finals losses. Photograph: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenMayo celebrate winning the 2026 All-Ireland Gaelic football title after 75 years – and 11 finals losses. Photograph: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile/Getty ImagesOpinionPsychologyEver thought your football team might be under a curse like Ted Lasso’s? Here’s how to lift itHelen PilcherFrom Mayo to Birmingham City, sports lore is rife with powerful hexes. There’s nothing mystical about the dread and self-doubt they can induceSun 9 Aug 2026 03.00 EDTShareAs the new season of Ted Lasso started, I was reminded of one of the show’s stranger storylines.
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