Rihanna trolled Team USA during yesterday’s World Cup: funny or rude?

Rihanna

Rihanna covers the July/August issue of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia. She was photographed by Rven Afanador, and RiRi looks gorgeous. Absolutely stunning. I always notice when Rihanna is wearing clothes instead of flashing her nips and booty. It’s always more shocking to everyone when Rihanna covers up, but she looks equally gorgeous either way. These pictures are glorious, and Rihanna has proudly tweeted all of them.

Rihanna

Rihanna’s been stirring up some sh-t on Twitter too. She had so much fun tweeting during yesterday’s World Cup games. Rihanna has been trolling like crazy on Twitter this year. She went off on TLC and Charlie Sheen (along with a very unfortunate fan-mocking incident). Now she’s taking on Team USA. Rih’s turning into an even bigger Twitter troll than Chrissy Teigen. Check out the LAGalaxy’s response to Rihanna’s hollering:

Rihanna isn’t American, but she’s definitely not anti-American. She’s trolling and poking fun at sports mania in general. A few Twitter replies took her antics seriously, but Rihanna’s just kicking back and enjoying herself and …. smoking some blunts in the process.

Rihanna

Photos courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar Saudi Arabia

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

135 Responses to “Rihanna trolled Team USA during yesterday’s World Cup: funny or rude?”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. Loopy says:

    When it comes to football/soccer most avid fans don’t take the USA team seriously that’s just the truth.

    • SpookySpooks says:

      It’s just that you guys are so hard to root for. Even when you are the underdog like in football, you don’t feel like the underdog because well, it’s the USA. You know?
      And I was rooting for Germany yesterday because they are my favourite remaining team, but good luck in the match against Belgium.

      • pretty says:

        you should see the live threads on /r/soccer (Reddit). it’s massive circlejerk about ‘MURICA with some bald eagle pictures and all those cringey shits like it’s kinda understandable cause you know , the majority of the users are Americans but my god. that is unbearable.

      • OhDear says:

        @pretty – Sadly, the American fans on /r/soccer are saner than those I know offline (there are some level headed US fans there, believe it or not)! The ones that I know are all “the US is going to be the best team in the world and the MLS is going to be the best league in the world and the US team is better than [insert other country’s name here] national team.” And, what’s worse, the *MLS* website had an article listing reasons to hate CR7 before the Portugal match (admittedly it was sort of tongue in cheek, but why do that in the first place?).

        I also think that’s silly that the LA Galaxy Twitter account said that Rihanna’s tweet was rude. She was cheering on the Germans, not dissing the US team.

      • Faye says:

        @pretty I know, right? How obnoxious is it for Americans to actually dare to root for their own country on the Internet? No other countries do that!

        (No investment in the World Cup but . . .come on)

      • OhDear says:

        @Faye – A lot of it is celebrations, yes, but there’s a lot of “we’re better than [x] team, f-ck you!” and other rather inappropriate comments (e.g. WWII jokes). Also, a lot of the stuff leaks out into other unrelated threads.

      • Jayne says:

        I will say that atleast this year the Americans posting are a little more clued up on football. The SA WorldCup on Reddit was a sad thing indeed. “How many points is a goal?” and “Where is David Beckham?” Were common posts.

      • Faye says:

        @OhDear – I’m sure there are obnoxious American fans, just as there are for every team, but I don’t think it’s fair to single them out. Based on what I see in my Twitter feed, the anti-American comments from across the world balance it out, anyway.

      • SpookySpooks says:

        I did see a few comments a couple of years ago about how Donovan was among the best players in the world. That was funny.

      • lauren says:

        I don´t really understand why it´s considered rude that Rihanna is cheering for the german team? I mean she is free to cheer for whatever Team she likes – why is it assumed that she HAS to cheer for the US team? Just because she cheers for another team doesn´t mean that she is dissing the american team.

      • Sisi says:

        @ lauren

        I think some people (emphasis on some) suffer from the ‘If you are not for us, you are against us’ syndrome.

      • Sighs says:

        Most American -soccer- fans (not Americans in general) are extremely realistic about their team. We know we aren’t the best, but we’re a lot better than we were 20 years ago. Yes, there can be some obnoxious fans, but what country doesn’t have those? At least our fans don’t throw bananas at their black players. I would argue that, internet idiots aside, we probably have some of the more well behaved and least obnoxious fans in soccer (football).

      • FLORC says:

        No country can say they don’t have extremely aggressive fans who root so hard for their home team that it becomes insulting. And I know it’s the USA and we’re often viewed as a big, bully, super power country full of indulgent fools, but we’re not the worst kind of fans. Especially when it comes to the FIFA.
        So let’s not start that here.

      • Sisi says:

        @ FLORC

        Might just be my eyesight… but I don’t see anyone starting that?

      • Tiffany :) says:

        Sisi, perhaps FLORC was referring to pretty’s post, “it’s massive circlejerk about ‘MURICA with some bald eagle pictures and all those cringey shits like it’s kinda understandable cause you know , the majority of the users are Americans but my god. that is unbearable.”

        OhDear also wrote, “A lot of it is celebrations, yes, but there’s a lot of “we’re better than [x] team, f-ck you!” and other rather inappropriate comments (e.g. WWII jokes). ” in reference to American fans.

        It would make sense that FLORC would note that, “No country can say they don’t have extremely aggressive fans who root so hard for their home team that it becomes insulting.”…”we’re not the worst kind of fans. Especially when it comes to the FIFA”

      • Sisi says:

        @ Tiffany

        Ah, ok. I read that more as a critique to a certain type reddit users. I get it now.

      • OhDear says:

        @Tiffany That comment was a response to Faye’s comment to pretty, whose comment I read as being only about certain /r/soccer users.

      • Chris says:

        As an Aussie I’m always slightly amused when Americans talk about “rooting” for a team.

    • Peppa says:

      Haha, this is funny and I agree with you. After living in Dublin and then London for two years, I kind of have to laugh at it. I think it’s totally cool for us Americans to want to cheer on our team, but professional football (or soccer) just isn’t a big deal here until there is a major showcase like the world cup (rec/youth and high school soccer is a big deal though, I played for many years). We have the market on baseball and American football though, just not football.

      • pantsless says:

        Trolling? Rude? What’s wrong with you ppl? Rihanna isn’t American why should she cheer for America? Or have we come to the point where anyone who lives in America needs to cheer for America in international sports?

        Exactly how long do must you be living in the land of the free before you lose your freedom to cheer for whoever you want?

        Maybe it’s because I live in NYC and I’m surrounded by immigrants and first generation Americans who are rooting for their “home” country. Why would this be rude? This is a non story.

    • mazzie says:

      She’s Bajan and like most soccer fans, doesn’t take the US seriously.

  2. Kiddo says:

    I like the Bazaar photos, they are interesting, but some don’t exactly look like her. I don’t care about sports, so no comment on that.

    • doofus says:

      “some don’t exactly look like her. ”

      just what I was thinking. I don’t mind ‘shopping out blemishes, wrinkles, etc…I know they give people a false sense of what people look like, but I understand for modeling shots…

      however…it drives me up a wall when they take a beautiful person (like Rihanna) and actually ALTER their features to make them “more attractive”. I see that so often on covers…I’ll see a cover of some mag and think “huh, that woman kind of looks like Sandra Bullock, but…”

      • Kiddo says:

        I thought that they made her face really round (puffy) in some shots, which it isn’t. The prettiest photos are actually the ones that look most like her.

      • doofus says:

        “The prettiest photos are actually the ones that look most like her. ”

        EXACTLY! That’s partly the point I was trying to make, albeit not so eloquently. it’s like the ‘shopper THINKS he/she is making the person look “better” but it ruins the subject’s natural beauty.

    • Bobo says:

      It looks like they made her nose broader and her eyes bigger, I never would’ve guessed it was her in some of those photos.

    • Wren33 says:

      I think the big bangs change the shape of her face too.

    • Wendy says:

      The cover looks like Solange.

    • kri says:

      I love that last photo where it looks like she is lounging on a rock. Can anyoe tell me who the designer is because GASP!! That dress is making me want to save money for it!

    • littlestar says:

      I don’t think she looks good here. I do think she has an amazing body, but when I see Rihanna all I think is that she is a truly ugly person inside, so it is hard for me to see her outward beauty anymore.

      • Scottie says:

        Yeah. She’s a loser.

      • Upshot says:

        This.

        She is very lovely to look at. Great body, etc.
        It’s the rest of her that I cannot stomach. At all.

        This cheering for Germany is her right to do, so I have nothing to say there. I just find her completely abysmal in every way besides physically, and used to hope she’d grow and change. Yet the more I read about her antics, the more static and grossly annoying she becomes.

  3. Maddy says:

    She tweeted a pic with Miro Klose during the Germany – Ghana game. Maybe she just really likes “Bae” better than Team USA. *shrugs*

    • Ag says:

      that’s what i was thinking – if she’s into soccer, maybe she’s cheering for a team other than the US? you can do that even if you’re amercian, you know. haha. i have plenty of friend who cheer for other teams, for whatever reasons.

      • Hannah says:

        Rihanna is from the Bahamas in the Caribbean she isn’t american.

      • Ag says:

        i didn’t say she was. i said that even if you’re american (not her, any random american), you can root for teams other than the US.

      • doofus says:

        she’s from Barbados, not the Bahamas, just fyi.

      • Sparklemotion says:

        Americans who root for other teams (when the US is still in it) because they did a study abroad, had an italian grandpa, or just want to be contrarian are insufferable tools.

        Non-Americans like Rihanna though — the world is her oyster. As always!

  4. Sarah says:

    she is a fan of the german team, she tweeted a lot of times about it. posted pictures of her with german players. so she probably rooted for that team and not for the USA.

  5. Melissa says:

    To me this is just a harmless joke an isn’t even in the same league of annoying as the prombat incident.

    • Sarah says:

      its not a joke, she simply is a fan of the german team. so why would it be trolling or a joke if she supports them? because the opponent happened to be the USA?

      • Melissa says:

        Idk I don’t follow her twitter apart from on here so I just presumed she would be a fan of the US because that’s where she’s based – no personal bias on my part I’ve never even been to the US. Cool for her if she’s a fan?

  6. kimber says:

    Cant take anything a negative attention seeker says seriously….duh.

    • OhDear says:

      Except that she’s not attention seeking, she’s a soccer (football) fan cheering on the German team. And she’s doing so without being negative.

  7. Sixer says:

    I was supporting Germany in yesterday’s match, too. I always like Germany at football. Have done for years. Are we saying that the default position is to support one’s own country first (presumably, THAT’S allowed!) then the default position must be to support team USA and if we don’t, we’re trolling?! She didn’t say “boo USA”, for heaven’s sake.

    • JessMa says:

      Sixer, I don’t think that is the consensus. I think people would assume she would cheer for America because it has been her home for years and it is where she built her empire. She may even be a citizen now. I do not care for sports, so this doesn’t bother me at all.

      • ORLY says:

        Jessma- do you think all the immigrants; Mexicans, Italians, Russians, Colombians, Brazillians, English etc. are cheering for the US just because they’ve made a life there?
        Rihanna complimented the US team’s goalie. She was trolling, she was supporting a team she likes. The girl has been live-tweeting the games since the start of the World Cup, suddenly it’s a horrible thing because she is not cheering for the US.

        It’s not war, it’s sports! If Rihanna was cheering for the other side when American soldiers were losing their lives, I’d say sure, let’s roast her, but come on!

      • Peppa says:

        @Orly I have friends from Honduras and Ecuador who cheer on their home countries even though they have lived in the US since they were little. I am half Puerto Rican myself and feel strong ties to Puerto Rico even though I was born in the US (so was my mother). I don’t think Rih was trolling at all!

      • ORLY says:

        I meant she * wasn’t * trolling. I think it’s obvious from the rest of my comment that that was a typo.

      • JessMa says:

        Orly, I can tell you that when my Colombian parents and husband don’t cheer for Colombia they cheer for the U.S. Colombia is their #1 team and U.S. is their #2. Even though they weren’t born here, this is where they have made their lives and lived for decades.

        I am not saying this is mandatory. I think many people assumed she would cheer for her current country of residence when they aren’t playing against her native country. TBH I don’t really care about sports, so I have no dog in this fight. I never said she was trolling.

      • ORLY says:

        …but they cheer for Colombia first, that’s my point. Barbados is not in the World Cup, I don’t know if Rihanna is a resident of the US or if she just has a work visa, but it seems like her teams are Germany and Brazil. I don’t see the issue.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        I’m an American citizen now, but if the Republic of Ireland had qualified this year, I’d be cheering for them.

  8. Mark says:

    How is it rude? It’s a joke for heavens sake

  9. Fred says:

    Here we go with all the USA bashing.

  10. Brittany says:

    Oh man. Rihanna and I have something in common now. I never thought I’d say that. Yesterday my co-worker, a veteran, got seriously pissed when I said I wanted The Netherlands to take it all and win! His response was “but you’re an American, why would you not root for America?” I told him I like the Dutch. He just kept saying “But you’re American”. I don’t give a shit that I’m American! I like the team I like, get over it. He then brought up being a veteran and fighting for America, etc. I just had to slowly walk away from the conversation.

    • megs283 says:

      ITA. It’s not like you’re burning the flag or anything – part of being american is being allowed to route for whatever team you prefer.

    • OhDear says:

      Same here! A friend was pissed at me because “as an American, [one should] support American athletes. Other countries have their own people to cheer for them.”

      It’s just a game. Not only is it just a game, it’s a bunch of people who make a lot more money than most people do playing a game. It’s not that serious!

    • msw says:

      Yeah. Some people take this sport stuff a little too seriously. A football match has NOTHING to do with veterans status, that’s just silly.

      I’m a die hard fan of my local sports team but I don’t get all bent out of shape when I see someone wearing our rivals’ jerseys.

    • SpookySpooks says:

      To be honest, I get Rihanna because she’s not American, but not rooting for you own country confuses me.

      • Sisi says:

        It has likely something to do with playstyle. For instance if a soccerfan usually loves FC Barcelona, then he probably also roots for the Spanish team (ouch) since that team is mostly made up of Barca players and plays the same tactical way and style.

        During the Champions League most people in my country also root for non Dutch clubs, because they like great matches. That the Dutch teams don’t come very far is not an issue at all. People keep watching. The Spanish, Italian and English and German leagues are very popular, and most of those players are at the world cup too.

        Many root for Argentina because they love Messi and want to see him play as many matches as possible ( ’till the final).

        Some like offense play, some like defense play and they support the team that reflects their taste. They choose a team just like they do in the clubleague. It’s about tv-entertainment.

      • SpookySpooks says:

        I get that. Hajduk, the team that I support used to be really good, we made it till the quarterfinals in the Championship League in the 90s. Sadly, football is about money, and we don’t have a lot of it, so we can’t compete seriously anymore. That is why I usually root for Bayern, and then for clubs which have Croatian players ( like, I rooted for Real Madrid in this years’s final because of Luka Modrić). I totally get that.
        What I don’t get is how some people I know said they root for, I don’t know Spain, even if they played against Croatia. I simply don’t understand that.

      • unamadridista says:

        @Spooky,

        Some people just like another team’s national team players, or that country’s culture better (like it’s their dream country to live in). Imagine if you lived in a country that could never, or has never qualified, then you’d choose some other team to root for. Since I was 5 y.o. until I had to seek asylum at 17, I lived in Russia and I never supported any club or national team. I always rooted for my father’s club and country (all Spain). Birth and birth nationality doesn’t dictate preference for some people for a myriad of reasons (it’s not always logical). I had my back up list of countries I’d support if mine got out simply because I liked either the players, culture, or spent memorable time there. Sadly, I need a new list since everyone on my original got eliminated. I think I’m a jinx this time around.

    • L says:

      It’s not like if you cheer for one team that you automatically are against another. I mean I’m also rooting for the Netherlands (yay!), but I’m rooting for the US as well. I’ll root for each of them in different brackets-and if they play each other I’ll be happy if either team wins. It’s a win/win for me.

    • Sisi says:

      yeah, I’m from The Netherlands, and I support great football and great matches. if the Dutch team couldn’t provide that (and in the past they hadn’t for a long time) I’d root for France of Italy.
      It has nothing to do with nationalism for me, it has to do with love for beautiful games. Horrible, right ; )
      And in the end, it’s just sport. It’s not like choosing a president or something. No need for someone to feel offended at all. So odd.

      BTW earlier this week Rihanna was cheering for the Netherlands during their game 🙂

      • ORLY says:

        Rihanna enjoys football, if there is a game on, she’ll cheer for the team she prefers. Anyone reading her tweets can see that she loves Brazil and Germany more than they others she has cheers for.
        She admires Van Persie of Netherlands and Ronaldo of Portugal, so she roots for them.
        Boateng was sent home so it’ll be interesting to see if she cheers Ghana in their next game.

      • Linn says:

        @ORLY

        Ghana didn’t make it to the last sixteen.

      • ORLY says:

        Yeah, I’d forgotten they played Portugal (and lost) yesterday without Rihanna’s “bae” Boateng. 🙂

    • Elle Kaye says:

      What I love about watching these games is the national pride from the players and the fans. I have that pride for my own Country, USA, and it is so great to see it across the globe.

  11. feebee says:

    She’s from the Caribbean and her favorite team is Germany… so she sends a supportive tweet. What part of that is trolling? No. Trolling is what Ann Coulter sent out the other day about hating soccer because it’s foreign, it doesn’t have enough personal humiliation and major injury to be called a sport (among other asinine reasons). During a world cup in which USA is doing well enough to garner record interest – that’s Trolling.

    • L says:

      Also that the popularity of soccer is part of the moral decline of America. And that no one who had a great grandfather born in America is watching the game.

      I know that woman is trolling, but my god that article made my blood boil.

      • januaries says:

        Don’t forget that soccer is a lesser sport because no serious sport is co-ed, even at the youngest levels. It made my blood boil as well. She manages to offend soccer fans, female athletes, pretty much everyone.

        My favorite comment was saying that that aren’t enough injuries in soccer. Seriously? I spent a day in the ER last month with my son, who got his first concussion playing soccer. Is that not a “good” enough injury? The fact that she thinks that people don’t get hurt playing soccer shows how little she has been watching it!

      • SpookySpooks says:

        Did she see Alvaro Pereira get knocked out? There are very very serious injurues in football.

      • sonalaceae (Nighty) says:

        A friend of mine killed his best friend in a game.. They used to play 5 against 5 players in a multi-sports pavillion (amateur games… a group of friends who would play for fun 2 or 3 times a week). Both him and his friend were going for the ball, crashed really hard, his friend fell and hit the gradings (the pitch was simultaneously a football pitch, basket and hockey) with his neck…. Killed him instantely… It was rulled out as an accident of course, but he never played again afraid of hurting someone else…

    • Sarah says:

      oh yeah, someone linked me that column of hers. what the heck. i had heard about pundits before, but that??? she said it is negative that in football (soccer) girls and boys can play together. which is only true about to a certain age because then boys have a physical advantage which gets bigger and bigger during puberty.

      whats not to love about a sports that young children can enjoy TOGETHER? seriously, how is that liberal liking something like that? how is it good to tell a little girl “just sit and watch outside because you are a girl?” and not only that if you have three boys and one girl shouldnt you be happy that they can play 2vs 2? im sure the kids will be happy about that. by the way im sure girls can also play rugby and american football with boys, up until the physical advantage becomes too strong.

      im always so annoyed by people who think they are superior because they like a certain sport. LIKE not even play themselves. you always here a lot of american football fans boast how hardcore it is, then the rugy fans come around the corner and boast, then the MMA bla bla bla.
      seriously do something with your life if you have to brag about what sport you watch is more hardcore, it does not make you hardcore.

  12. Nene says:

    I think Riri is truly supporting the German team. I mean they’re one of the best football nation in the world even in club football.
    The German team is super awesome -consistently so- and they aren’t nicknamed ‘German Machines’ for nothing.
    On the other hand everyone knows the USA isn’t really a football country. However in this FIFA world cup they seem to have improved from their previous dismal performances at the world stage.
    The ONLY thing team Germany and USA have in common is their hot goalies.

    By the way I love the cover photo of Rihanna. They really played up her best features – her eyes and lips.

    • SpookySpooks says:

      The other team they have in common is the fact that they both have a German coach.

      • Francis says:

        Exactly they both have German coaches.
        Also people knocking a team USA saying they aren’t good are truly delusional these players are amazing, the US is holding their own even with the loss against Germany.
        TEAM USA is not going down without a fight. These guys have done an amazing job. I’m with Europeans watching it and they have been impressed by team USA the entire time.

  13. LeahMommy says:

    She is gorgeous. And why is it rude for her to cheer for another team beside USA? So bizzare.

  14. TG says:

    I like the comments made by The Guardian about the widespread confusion from US fans who aren’t sure how many more games the US has to lose to win the World Cup. I am still laughing today about that comment and I am a big fan of the US I just don’t take myself so seriously.

    • Faye says:

      That’s hilarious. One of the reasons I just can’t get into rooting for the U.S. in the World Cup is for that reason – we’re tying or losing and yet we keep advancing – I like games where we actually have to win something to win.

      • SpookySpooks says:

        You do have to win in the knock out rounds. Your comment confuses me.

      • ORLY says:

        Faye- those were the preliminary. (Group stages) going forward in the knockout rounds, you must win to advance.

      • minime says:

        Yes…maths is always confusing (rolling eyes..)
        But don’t despair, from now on they really have to win to stay in competition.

      • unamadridista says:

        @ Faye,

        In Group stages, tying still gets you a point, and losing once won’t hurt you if you do well in other matches and have a better goal difference than your closest opponent. You just have to worry about securing at least a second spot in group in order to advance to Knockouts. From Knockout stage on, all teams must win to advance.

  15. maybeiamcrazy says:

    So she supported German team. It is not even trolling, she didn’t diss US team or anything. LA Galaxy is being way too sensitive.

  16. Kiki says:

    So what’s wrong if she prefers some other team? I am Mexican but I know we don’t have a chance. My favorites are The Netherlands and Germany. Why does everything have to be unpatriotic for the press?

  17. Hannah says:

    She isn’t american why does She have to support us team? It doesn’t make her anti American. She can support whoever she wants.
    I am not ghanian but I was rooting for ghana mainly due to their hot goalkeeper Adam Larsen kwaresi, only to find they played a different goalkeeper in that match.

  18. Marlene says:

    I don’t think it’s trolling. I looked at her twitter and she seems to genuinely like Germany. Nothing wrong with that.

  19. Ali J says:

    For once I agree with Rihanna.

    I am Canadian but I support Germany.

    If Canada got into thhe World Cup and played a decent game of football I would still support Germany.

  20. Francis says:

    I’m supporting TEAM USA all the way and so are several of the Europeans I’ve been watching the World Cup with.

    Some a countries didn’t even qualify for play in the a World Cup and I wonder if some are just jealous that the USA actually did.
    Where’s RiRis country in the World Cup? They didn’t qualify?

    • OhDear says:

      She’s originally from Barbados but she likes soccer and she likes the German team. It has nothing to do with jealousy or the USNMT. She said nothing negative about the USNMT – she even complimented Tim Howard!

    • Sisi says:

      honestly, I think the American media might be focusing on the anti team USA sentiment and that’s why there seems to be so much of it. I’ve watched several commentaries on on Belgian, Dutch and English tv stations and read articles on Belgian, Dutch and English websites and the USA soccer team is treated just as any team. Everyone here knows Klinsman and he’s a very respected coach, and some American players play/have played in the Euro leagues in teams that have many fans.

      Many here were looking forward to the Germany- USA game, not because they were hoping for the USA to get thrashed, but because they thought it would be a entertaining and competitive game, aka great soccer (sadly the game was kinda boring).

      But that’s not an interesting angle on news stories. It’s also not memorable, the negativity is though.

      Yes some people don’t like team USA, just like others can’t stand team Italy, or Uruguay or Netherlands or [insert country]. No country stands out though. It seems to be blown out of proportion imo. Jealousy? Not at all.

      • Magoo says:

        The only time I have to discuss anti-Americanism is when I’m talking to non-Americans. I think people in other parts of the world are interested in the idea of America and what is good and bad about it. Living here, we’re more focused on domestic matters like cost of living, jobs, weather, and traffic. To us America is a country, not so much an idea. It is the norm to cheer for your own country and I think the Galaxy Tweeter did not realize Rihanna was not American. How ignorant, right?

      • Sisi says:

        I don’t think it is the norm per se.

        Last world cup I didn’t cheer for my team. They made so so many fouls and tackles and got so many cards that they sometimes just played plain dirty. My country has some of the best players in the world, those players should be able to play the ball with skill, not by kicking the opponent in the shins or chest. I was embarrassed for my country, even though we made the final. They did not represent me.

        This time the team seems to rely far more on their skills, so I do root for them. But I am still a bit wary, because they still are the team with the most offences.

      • OhDear says:

        I think the US media’s trying to play up the US team’s underdog image and any mention of anti-USMNT sentiment is meant to play into that. To be honest – and I say this as an American – a lot of what American fans are considering to be anti-US comments are either (1) meant to be objective criticisms or (2) lighthearted jokes on the US (casual) fans’ disinterest in and or ignorance of the sport.

    • sonalaceae (Nighty) says:

      I’m Portuguese supporting Brazil…
      You root for teams you like, even if they aren’t your country… A Brazilian friend of mine was rooting for both Brazil and Portugal…

      😀

  21. Lempicka says:

    I think its embarrassing that there are people getting mad over this. You support the team you like best. She *congratulated* Miro Klose on his goal in the last game so its not like she is supporting Germany to bash the US team. God.

    • minime says:

      Yes, it’s just embarrassing. I like football, I think it’s fun to watch, but I think it’s really crazy to get mad over something like which team do you support. In the end these guys are making millions and are (gladly) all friends. People should chill a bit.

  22. ashley says:

    She’s so stunning!! Rih can cheer for any team that she wants,us team is not going to win anyway. Maria Sharapova lives here,but she doesn’t play tennis for usa,so i don’t get the outrage. Rih is going to her regardless of what people say,with zero phucks given.

  23. Sarah says:

    i do not understand your logic. i highly doubt any of that is true anyway, but if i get a woman off the street she will have to root for my country at the world cup? also rihanna tours in other countries, too. or ask around hollywood, most of the money comes from overseas.

  24. Julie says:

    Can someone translate her 2nd tweet for me? “At least da bae plays for Ghana lol”.

  25. Akua says:

    Rihanna has been so into the World Cup from Day one…even after rooting for Ghana during the Ghana -USA ,she still teased us yesterday when we scored an own goal during the Portugal match..and it was clear she was rooting for Portugal..we never bore..lmao..she isn’t a serious girl..

  26. lisa2 says:

    I really like the cover. Especially love that short black dress and whole styling..

    It looks like what you should be seeing on Vogue but never do. It would have been awesome at the MET Gala too.

    Yes for sure. I LOVE THATshort Black Dress..

    regarding the tweets.. I’m not really following.

  27. Tiffany :) says:

    All rabid fans of all sports make me roll my eyes. I can get excited and happy when a team I like wins, but I do not understand people that seriously depressed or ragey when their team loses. People beat each other over sports! I just don’t get it…It’s a game!

  28. OSTONE says:

    I was born in Mexico but live in the US. My husband is from the US and we both are rooting for Mexico and the US. Will they win it all? Probably not, but I am having a lot of fun rooting for our countries. I don’t think what Rihanna tweeted was rude or even trolling. Nothing wrong with supporting your own country for patriotic reasons or supporting other country for the quality of football in my eyes.

  29. Nene says:

    @Francis… Your comment just shows your little understanding of football/soccer. There is absolutely no jealousy when it comes to football. Everything is just about the love for the beautiful game. This is why anyone can support any team or club they want. Am a Nigerian but am rooting for Holland to win the World cup cos they’ve known as perennial underachievers at the world stage. But they are a fantastic team,always have been.

    Am a HUGE fan of Chelsea FC of England but am not British and watch most of their games. I love the UEFA and EPL too. The UEFA is a big thing in Europe,Africa and Asia ande even South-America cos many of their players feature in it. This is actually why football is the most global sports in the world. Except USA obviously.

    • sonalaceae (Nighty) says:

      + 1, it’s all about the sport.. Portuguese here who likes Real Madrid and Barça (Barcelona), both Spanish teams… Also have 2 fave Portuguese teams, several fave countries…

    • mikeal says:

      I think a lot of confusion come from the lack of understanding of the culture of the game while people do support their country a lot of people support other countries because they like their style of play and in the Caribbean countries like Germany and Brazil have a large fan base because of their history in the game.

      Also people tend not to root for the USA team because there are always segments of the American media that seem to go out of the way ridicule the World Cup and foot- ball every time it comes around.

    • Francis says:

      I was in France when they won the a World Cup and the European Win in France 1998 and 2000. I was in Paris in the middle of the mania, watching the games. Believe me I understand it. I’m married to a European who grew up playing Football ( soccer) and still plays in a local league in his Country. I understand it.
      I just think some like ribbing America,for no reason, except to do it for whatever reason.
      I just found it insulting to say these extremely trained athletes are not talented, because they are American. People can support who they want without putting down another team.
      Team USA has performed quite well. Good luck to them. I support them.
      Go Team USA.

  30. Her Indoors says:

    I’m supporting Argentina.
    I have never met an Argentinian person or visited that country.
    “Just because” is a perfectly acceptable answer when asked who you are supporting in the World Cup.
    (Especially if you are Scottish and fail repeatedly to qualify…)

    • Laura says:

      @Her indoors: I support Argentina too, plus the Netherlands, and to a lesser extent all the South American countries ( I’m Peruvian). My main reason to support Argentina is that I think they are very enjoyable to watch (always have been), and also because I love Messi and I hope he can win a world cup with his country once and for all, that would be amazing!

  31. joan says:

    Lately she seems to be showing a sense of humor at the same times she’s taking some gorgeous photos. Interesting improvement in her persona.

  32. Chris says:

    I agree with others who don’t get the whole patriotism in sport thing. I don’t get it in entertainment either, like when an Australian gets an Oscar nomination and our news services report about how Aussie (insert name) has been nominated for an Oscar. What difference does it make to me if an Aussie gets an Oscar nomination instead of someone from another country? Is the inference that if someone from your country experiences success then it’s one step closer to it being you than if it was someone from another country?

  33. GreenTurtle says:

    This is a non-story. Rihanna’s not the one trolling here. I love this site, but it’s starting to wander into HuffPo territory with the sensationalist clickbait titles.

  34. Nona says:

    I have nothing to add but GOD Rihanna is SO BEAUTIFUL.

  35. rlh says:

    She’s an a**hat and her music sucks. Sorry, but getting that fashion icon award bare a** nekkid was the end for me. Can’t wait till she’s over.

    • J says:

      I don’t think her music sucks, but her voice is kind of annoying if you really pay attention to it. There’s a goat-like quality to it.

      • rlh says:

        J: right. Goat-like quality is great in cute little goats. In music, not so much. Her songs are all monotonous. Even the ones that are catchy, because of how they are written, are annoying because of her voice, which is ok at best and really rather weak. And I could deal with that and just enjoy the pictures because she is naturally lovely. But the continuous classlessness is, well, classless. To me she is like the Kardashian’s; the money and expensive clothes don’t disguise the fact that she is, basically without any sense of good taste or real fashion aesthetic.

  36. K37744 says:

    I live in Cleveland and root for the Seahawks. I’ll get the wood and you get the nails.

    What’s that? Wrong sport?

    As you were.
    (Cracks open another beer).

  37. sam says:

    I’m English yet I didn’t root for England this year, why? Because they played terrible I couldn’t watch the second game without swearing at them and rooted for the other team. Honestly they are a bunch of over payed ninnies who fall over at any chance. Rihanna can support whoever she likes.

    I’m supporting Netherlands and Colombia,

  38. Chris says:

    Damn it. Uruguay are out and I’ve done my dough. I think the fix was in. If you watch the first goal that the Columbians kicked you can clearly see the Uruguayan defender jump out of the way of the ball and let it go through for a goal. WTH?

    • unamadridista says:

      You must be talking about Diego Godin. He does it a lot at Atletico and I’m not surprised he did it here. My ex, who plays a defensive position, says sometimes when you don’t think you can clear it cleanly, you jump out so you won’t score an own goal and/or block a keeper’s view. Maybe he had a coach who taught him this technique early on, because it’s his go-to move. Obviously, this technique is not fool-proof, but some players would rather get out of the way rather than risk accidentally netting it against themselves if they have trouble clearing in the air .

      • Chris says:

        Thanks for the explanation. I was truly puzzled about why he would get out of the way.

  39. Mike Grendall says:

    People aren’t upset because she’s rooting for another team she likes…they’re upset because she’s rooting for every team OTHER THAN the U.S. no matter who that team may be. And they find that offensive because she lives in the U.S. and made her money in the U.S. and here she is going out of her way to dog the U.S. in a major sporting event. Yes, it’s just sport, but try saying that to the people throughout the world who find this sport to be like a religion (which is just pathetic…I don’t get how anyone can funnel that much passion and energy into something so unbelievable trivial).

    Now I’m not saying I agree with those folks, I just want to clarify that this isn’t about her rooting for other teams she likes but more about her rooting for any other team other than the USMNT…even though she does like Germany…we get that. Just want that to be clarified.

    • Sisi says:

      she’s rooting only for team Germany, and likes the individual players Ronaldo and Boateng (whose half-brother is in the German Squad she loves so much, and who playes in the german teamleague).

      Ronaldo is the worlds best player and won the golden shoe award this year, but he hadn’t scored at all during the world cup. You could see the frustration and desperation on his face that it just wasn’t happening for him, and it’s not the first tournament for him that when horrible within the Portugal team. He kept trying and trying and trying, and when that ball finally went in I cheered for him too. At least he went out of the tournament with a goal. Many people felt sympathy for him.
      It’s not a “yay Portugal has scored a goal against USA”, it’s a “yay Ronaldo finally made a goal this tournament” in my eyes. That’s how I felt too.

      • Mike Grendall says:

        You don’t have to explain what she’s thinking to ME. I’m telling you what’s being said on other forums. Explain to those people.

    • unamadridista says:

      @Mike,

      While I agree that extreme fanatics can be dangerous, don’t call people who are passionate about it pathetic. We are all passionate about different things. So what’s only “just a sport” for some, isn’t for others. For some of us, it is a large part of our life. I wouldn’t have a career if it wasn’t for this sport, so I couldn’t sneer at it. And it helped me put my life back together when I was going through a really rough patch. But there are tons of other sports I don’t care about, but I would never presume to call people who do any derogatory names. It’s good to have choices; we can’t all have same passions. And no, it’s never pathetic to be passionate beyond reason for anything. Then why live?

      • Mike Grendall says:

        Sorry, (not really) but I find people who riot over wins and losses and people who beat the crap out of others who root for rival teams, PATHETIC. If you don’t agree, oh well…you’re simply wrong. That’s ridiculous and asinine behavior. I’m not talking about careers of any of that BS. im talking about fans who let it dictate how they live their lives…like Eagles fans. And if you had any common sense you would realize that and wouldn’t have responded with a comment that simply didnt apply!!!!!!! If you can’t understand the distinction I am making then I don’t know what to say. Rioting over wins and losses is straight up stupid. Liking a team and rooting for them is what well adjusted human beings do. goes without saying.

    • OhDear says:

      Honestly, unless she says something negative against the US team, I see nothing wrong with her cheering for the other teams and not the US. It seems like she had reasons for cheering for Ghana (Kevin Price Boateng), Portugal (mainly Ronaldo, but she seems to like the team) and Germany (she likes the team), not that she was hating on the US and only supported the other teams in the hope that the US would lose.

      (I know that “Rihanna is being offensive” not your opinion, either, but am putting this comment here since no one else had made that point.)

  40. Mike Grendall says:

    It’s not MY logic. It’s what is being posted on other forums…and I distinctly made it clear that it wasnt my goddamn opinion either.

    That being said, it’s not difficult to understand where these people are coming…it’s just annoying that it’s making them come up with comments like “Chris Brown obviously didnt beat her hard enough.” Etc.

    • unamadridista says:

      @Mike,

      You completely misunderstood my comment. I did say that fanatical and extreme behavior (e.i. rioting and violence) is dangerous. Dangerous behavior is horrible and unjustifiable. Please read that first line of my original comment. That behavior is NOT the same thing as passion. Most fans are passionate without being violent. I don’t know where you read that I wrote that rioting and violence are acceptable, it’s NOT but it’s also NOT the same as passion. See what I’m saying? I’ve interviewed many people who say team/game is like their religion, and you said that attitude is pathetic. If they’re not violent, but only deeply passionate about their team/sport, how is that pathetic? I just don’t see why you had to insult some die-hard fans just because of bad behavior of some extremist individuals. I reiterate, passion is not the same as extreme, violent behavior. It’s not the same, so no need to be rude and insulting.

  41. LAK says:

    She’s gorgeous in those pictures.

  42. Liz says:

    They went overboard on the photoshop. Rihanna’s real face is so much prettier. She used to look so beautiful and relaxed on covers such as the first one she did for Vogue. Now she’s consistently photographed with an “I’m over it” or bitchy expression.