Rihanna broke FIFA rules & touched the World Cup: rude or no big deal?

Rihanna

By now, you must be aware that Germany won the World Cup on Sunday. I’m not going to pretend to know much about the games. CB caught World Cup fever, and Kaiser found a new boyfriend in Team USA goalkeeper Tim Howard. I tried to stream one of the big USA games (on delay) and got spoiled by Twitter and kind of gave up watching. I did notice Rihanna’s constant trolling of the games. She also attended the final in Brazil and had a blast supporting Team Germany.

Rihanna went crazy in the stands, whooping and hollering. I don’t know if Rih was a fan of the sport before this World Cup, but she sure got into the groove for each game on Twitter. Germany won of course. Several of the players celebrated on the field and in the stands with Rihanna. She tweeted this photo of herself clutching the cup while being smooched by both Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Podolski and Schweinsteiger didn’t just kiss Rihanna. They pretended like they were going to kiss each other too (you can see the video here.)

The Mail is stirring the pot by pointing out that it’s against FIFA rules for anyone to touch the cup — unless they’re a member of a winning team, a head of state, or a select FIFA rep. The players did bring the cup to Rihanna, or so she says.

The players were thrilled to celebrate with Rihanna. Mesut Ozil even gave her the shirt off his back. She was pumped.

Is it rude of Rihanna to put her fingers all over the cup? I see a winning team and a pop star caught up in a great deal of excitement. Rihanna didn’t plot to get her hands on the cup. It just happened. I could be wrong though. Is touching the cup controversial or disrespectful of Rihanna?

Rihanna

Photos courtesy of WENN

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111 Responses to “Rihanna broke FIFA rules & touched the World Cup: rude or no big deal?”

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  1. Buckwild says:

    Looks like it was an amazing night for Ri and the athletes. I don’t think it’s an issue since it’s not like she snuck in and touched it.

    • Krista says:

      How would FIFA even enforce a rule like that? Ban her from games? Silly.

    • An says:

      Also, she didn’t troll. She’s a genuine fan of Germany. Was from the beginning. They were amazing too! And the cup was only a replica so I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.

      • Belle says:

        Earlier that day she was for Argentina not Germany but maybe that’s because she was on TV

      • Em says:

        You can root for more than one team. She rooted for Brazil too and Ghana when they were still in the game.

    • Rice says:

      Rihanna is Bajan (Barbadian) so it’s not a stretch that she’s a football fan since we West Indians love football (next to cricket). Anyway, the guys let her hold the trophy so I don’t see the big deal. Hell, I’d do it too.

    • Anna says:

      What a stupid fake controversy, all the players family and friends touched the cup too. It wasn’t just Rihanna who broke this “rule”

  2. Eleonor says:

    I did not even know there was a rule like that.

    • pem says:

      There IS no rule like that. It’s the usual Daily Mail “journalism”.

      I find Rihanna annoying as hell, and it pisses my off that she’s all over the German team when she probably hadn’t even heard of football before this, but this story is just pointless sh*t-stirring against her.

      • Rice says:

        As I said before, Rihanna is West Indian and football is the most popular sport in the Caribbean, next to cricket.

      • Hannah says:

        Actually it is a rule and FIFA can fine the German team. Thing is, chances that is the real cup at the party are very slim. Likely a replica.

      • Lauren says:

        @Pem

        Excuse me? She hasn’t heard of football before this?! Are you serious? You do know that she is part Bajan and part Guyanese. Those are countries from the Caribbean and West Indies. I am of Guyanese heritage and I can assure you that people from the Islands have heard of football and play it as well. How ignorant are you?

      • anna says:

        Agree with Hannah, that was probably just a replica.

  3. Tulip Garden says:

    Def, no big deal! I don’t think she chased the players down to get her hands on the coveted cup. Probably didn’t even know the “rules”, I didn’t. If anyone should get dissed for this, it’s the players. Presumably they know the rules and should have acted on them.

  4. Tiffany27 says:

    Has she always been a huge supporter of the German team? This seems so random lol.

    • OhDear says:

      Judging from her Twitter timeline it seems like she’s followed the sport for some time and is knowledgeable about it. She’s liked them from at least the beginning of the tournament and who can blame her? The German team is rather likeable both on and off the field.

      • Locke says:

        Wow, so she supports them for a whole MONTH?!

      • OhDear says:

        Please read what I wrote. “From at least the beginning of the tournament” means that it could be for longer.

        I really don’t get (1) the hostility against Rihanna and (2) how people assume that she’s just a bandwagoner and incapable of liking a sport before a major tournament. In the off chance that she’s only liked soccer since the WC, then, as An said, she’s in good company.

      • Em says:

        No. She’s been a fan of them for years. She even had her Twitter-avatar remade so it was of her in a swimsuit in the colors of the German flag. That doesn’t seem like something a casual fan would do.

      • Moneypenny says:

        I agree OhDear. So, if your country isn’t in the World Cup (and I’m Bajan too, so our country is unlikely to have a WC team), you can’t cheer for another team?

      • anna says:

        @Em, she did the same with the Dutch flag.

    • An says:

      She was a fan of team Germany even before the beginning of the World Cup. Which is great since plenty of people didn’t really care all that much about soccer untill this World Cup. She genuinely liked them and knew a lot about the game too.

    • Francis says:

      Wasn’t she supporting The Netherlands a few weeks ago?

  5. Nev says:

    hahahaha Naomi touched it too and was photographed! hahaha

  6. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    I have no problem with it. Stupid rule. It’s not a religious artifact, it’s a sports trophy.

    • Hautie says:

      “It’s not a religious artifact, it’s a sports trophy.”
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      Thank you.

      This is what I find so annoying about pro sports in general. Is that folks have lost their way, when a for profit only… money making business…. is treat like it is a religion. And how only the chosen ones are allowed to touch the big gold cup.

      And to be fair. I have the same attitude about those academy awards – Oscars. If you win one of those… then it is yours to do with it as you please. Including selling it. They should have not have any say so, about what you do with it, once its yours. Why. Because it is a trophy. Not a religious artifact.

      • SpookySpooks says:

        Yes it’s pro sports, and it is a money making machine, but in some countries, mine includeed, football is huge and it means so much.

    • Snazzy says:

      Exactly! They all just looked super excited and like they were having a blast. Good for them 🙂

  7. Abbott says:

    I think we can all agree there are worse things Rihanna could have done with the World Cup.

  8. SpookySpooks says:

    As silly as it is, the rules are the rules. But didn’t half of the girlfriends also touch the cup? I don’t think it’s such a big deal. Rihanna annoyed me flashing her bra and all that, but who cares really.

    I’m really happy Germany won. Neuer should have gotten both the Golden Glove and The Golden Ball. Messi wasn’t even the best player in the Argentinian team.

    Bastian Schweinsteiger has the best surname ever, and Angela Merkel, regardless of politics looks really adorable. She had a ball purse in German colours. She looked like someone’s aunt, and not the most powerful woman in the world.

    Does anyone know how Kramer, the poor guy who got a concussion is doing?

    • OhDear says:

      Last I read Kramer’s ok, though he says he doesn’t remember the first half of the match.

    • Panache says:

      Christoph Kramer is doing fine. He was doing interviews after the match. He doesn’t remember the first half though, he said.

    • minime says:

      Messi winning the Golden Ball was the biggest joke of the night. Looks like someone wants to justify the next Ballon d’Or 😉
      I agree with you that both should have gone to Neuer and if not there would be so many other amazing players that should have gotten it before Messi.
      I didn’t read anything about Kramer but today he was shown arriving to Berlin with the National team and he seemed to be fine and an in good spirits, so I hope he’s OK (that was pretty hardcore)

    • SpookySpooks says:

      Now, I don’t know if this is true, but Mats Hummels has a house in Croatia, and apparently some of the players will come here to celebrate the win. And Neuer’s coach is Croatian and he apparently knows how to sing a bunch of our songs. And he vacations here very often. I knew I rooted for them for a reason 😀
      If I see any, I will report.

      • Locke says:

        I am so jealous right now.

        I thouhgt that letting all the WAGs on the field after the game was rather weird.

      • M.A.F. says:

        Eh. After most finals you see the WAGs across sports on the field/ice so I didn’t think it was unusual. What I did find so unusual was how quickly they let the family members on the field.

  9. GeeMoney says:

    I would have touched it too!

    PS – Plus… isn’t the World Cup like made out of fake gold or something? So… why would anyone care? It’s not like it’s worth anything…

    • Sixer says:

      Real gold. It’s worth a fortune! It weighs about 12lbs or somesuch.

      But, as noted below, that’s a replica she’s touching. They don’t let the real one get handed around like that. The previous trophy was stolen not once, but twice, and never recovered the second time.

    • Rice says:

      It’s actually made of 18 carat gold. The original was first stolen during the 2nd World War, recovered and stolen again, coincidentally in Brazil, in 1983. This is a newer version of the trophy. Yes, I’m a football geek and I’m proud of it. 🙂

  10. original kay says:

    This is preposterous. It’s a CUP.

    it just highlights all that is wrong in our society. Human trafficking, girls being kidnapped from their school, people living in extreme poverty? ok, but don’t touch the fooking cup!

  11. Panache says:

    It’s not the original, anyway. They take the original cup off them immediately after they “lift” in the stands. Once they get down to the field, it’s a replicia they’re fooling around with. It’s far too valuable to be exposed to all the shenanigans.

  12. littlemissnaughty says:

    Um, I personally don’t give a flying vegetable. But in the world of football this is a massive NOOOO! Accomplished players aren’t allowed to touch it if they’re not world champions. There’s a FIFA rep to guard the thing at all times and to make sure nobody touches it who’s not allowed. Well, on Sunday night that obviously wasn’t the case.

  13. Murphy says:

    It would be nice if she threw Team Barbados a bone too. Yeah they didn’t make it to the WC, its a small country, but they still exist.

  14. kyzmet says:

    whats with the brazilian flag on her throat? its creeping me out….her whole look here is a bit halloweenish to me.

  15. Sixer says:

    I should imagine she’s a genuine footie fan. It’s very popular in the Caribbean, third only to cricket and athletics. Ever seen Usain Bolt waxing lyrical over Man Utd?

  16. lower-case deb says:

    is “touching the cup” a euphemism for something?

  17. Kate says:

    Tons of random people get their paws all over it every time. If FIFA wants the rule to stand, letting players go wandering around meeting people with the cup in tow might not be the best idea.

  18. L says:

    She’s been a fan of German soccer and alot of the players for years now. She’s friends with a few of them. Not just for the WC.

    I’ve seen WAG’s holding the cup and taking pictures with it, so I’m sure that’s a informal rule.

  19. Rupi says:

    I’d say it’s no big deal. They were celebrating and got carried away. It wouldn’t suprise me if she was asked to do a song for the next World-Cup.

    I even believe they were partying with a replica of the offical trophy – because the winning team never gets to take the original cup to their home-country, it’s a replica made of bronze. The original is kept in a safe until the next World-Cup.

  20. Ali J says:

    Lucky girl

  21. pretty says:

    but that’s a fake trophy. lol

    and she looks like such a bandwagon fan, anyway.

    • Sighs says:

      I’m sure if Argentina won she would have done the exact same thing with the Argentinian players.

      • amanda says:

        Exactly, she’s being paid to be there, it’s not like she cares who wins as long as she gets her money.

  22. blue marie says:

    Looks like that would have been a fun night.

  23. Maria says:

    the dailymail is wrong. there is no general rule like that. it applies when the Throphy is on exibithion before tournaments. you obviously dont want everyone touching it. think about what people do to the wax figures at Madame Toussauds.

    Rihanna has supported the german team for quite some time, obviously she loves the attention too. its not trolling just because someone isnt rooting for “gods own country”, there are other countries too to cheer for and guess what they even win at the most popular sport in the world.

  24. Hazel says:

    I’m more interested whether she fooled around with some of the players rather than the cup.

    I think she may have a thing with Podolski. 😉

    • Size Does Matter says:

      Me too. I’d be way more jealous if she got her paws on that hot goal keeper whose name I can’t remember.

    • reddy says:

      Have you seen Podolski with his little son? That kid was amazing, wandering around the field like a boss. And he even did some penalty shoot with his father and that kid has already a killer shoot.

  25. feebee says:

    From what I’ve been learning about FIFA recently, off the bat I’d say F*** FIFA!

    I do understand a little of the reasoning in trying to protect the original (though not original “original”… would that just make it the “official”?) trophy but not to the point where they restrict even top players from it because they haven’t officially “won” it. So a Maradona technically can’t touch it but a random head of state could? Oh, nononononononono. If teams can bring the Stanley Cup to bars and drink champagne (or whatever sponsors product) out of the America’s Cup then let’s reassess this shall we FIFA?

    Enjoy it Germany, with all your fans!!

    • M.A.F. says:

      I wonder if Qatar will still be hosting the Cup in 2022. Those matches can’t even be held at night due to the heat.

  26. Sighs says:

    Rule or not, she is such an attention seeking famewhore. I know a lot of people here love her and think she’s a strong woman who does what she pleases, ya da ya da. I think she’s just a messed up girl in desperate need of being the center of attention. Even the WAGs weren’t this desperate for attention, and they at least have more of a reason to than her.
    And I thought she was all team Brazil the whole time? She couldn’t even spell Schweinsteiger’s name right in her tweet. Who, I think, was a better player in the tournament and should have been In Contention for the Golden Ball ahead of Messi.

    • SpookySpooks says:

      My thoughts exactly.

    • maybeiamcrazy says:

      Many players should have been in contention for Golden Ball ahead of Messi. I love Messi but he wasn’t the best, not even close.

      IMO Riri just travelled to Brazil to party. I can’t fault her for that. If Argentina won, she probably would party with them but is that a bad thing? She is a citizen of neither Argentina nor Germany. Partying with the winning team is much more fun than the other option.

  27. TG says:

    Next they are going to accuse her of dropping the Spirit Stick and cursing the team. What is this yet another sequel of Bring It On?

  28. eo says:

    What an outrage! Someone pay the fine for this little guy too while they’re at it: http://tinyurl.com/psaowzy

  29. A old prude says:

    Am I the only Argentina fan here or anywhere in internet except actual Argentinean s?! I am so sad for them, they put on such a great fight. It was really an equal match and IMO it was one of closest one I ever watched in world cup final and it looks like most people were supporting Germany but I am a huge Messi fan, so followed him to Argentina team. It would be really sad if Messi never holds a world cop trophy in his spectacular career. I really hope the next European trophy goes to Argentina.

    • SpookySpooks says:

      The next European trophy? I really don’t see that happening.

    • maybeiamcrazy says:

      I think that’s why they gave the Golden Ball to Messi. He has such an amazing career that it would be tragic if he didn’t get something from FIFA. I don’t think he deserved it at all. But it was nice that FIFA honoured his career

      • SpookySpooks says:

        No it wouldn’t be tragic and it wasn’t “nice”. The award should go to the best player, but this is FIFAso nothing is ever legit.

      • minime says:

        He already got a lot of career prices from FIFA! I don’t see how it is honoring someone to get a price that is undeserved. There were many players from many different countries that were much more impressive during the cup (Howard, James, Roben, van Persie, Kroos, Müller…) and I think that others that never got a price from FIFA should be rewarded first as a way of acknowledging their contribute to the sports. Argentina made to the final only by the luck that they had in the penalties. Personally, I find that when it comes to penalties it doesn’t mean that the best team wins. I think Argentina played well, but Germany played incredibly better.

      • A old prude says:

        MAYB,
        I AGREE! FIFA honoured his whole career and thought it would be firing since Argentina was in the finals. Messi wasn’t the best player by any stretch of imagination and i’m a huge fan. I do think it would be really sad if he doesn’t win a world cup for his country especially since he has done so well for the club that raised him and that he is still very close and connected to his Argentinean roots. He is 27 so not all hope is lost, hopefully next time!

        I strongly disagree that Argentina went into final by luck, nobody goes that far with mere luck IMO. They were really equal to Germans and that showed in the finals. Germans didn’t crush them, they were on there toes the whole with Argentina unlike their previous matches and opponents. Saying it was all luck is very incorrect IMO.

      • maybeiamcrazy says:

        You are absolutely right. As a Messi fan I am admittedly biased. And I even I thought he didn’t deserve it. But FIFA doesn’t go for the best when they are giving honours. Messi is a “brand” and other great players you have counted are not. I wish FIFA actually gave it to the best.

        And yes, Germany was the best team and they really deserved WC. Even if penalties are tricky when it comes to decide which team is better, I thought Angentina was generally fantastic thoroughout the tournament.

      • EllaM says:

        The funny thing about this is, that the FIFA is publishing an index oft the best World Cup players on its official website and the best player there is Toni Kroos. Messi isn’t even in the top eleven, not in the top two offensive players and not in the top four midfielders.

        You can find the index here: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/castrol-index/index.html

        He got the Golden Ball because FIFA is corrupt as hell and the Argentinians had to get something…

    • minime says:

      I wish Messi would pay his taxes and be less arrogant (start to be nicer to his fans could help), but well, I guess that’s only wishful thinking… 😉

      I think Argentina will certainly have other opportunities to get the World cup.

      • Locke says:

        I didn’t know he doesn’t pay taxes and isn’t nice to fans. Really?

      • A old prude says:

        LOCKE,
        I think Barcelona pays his taxes above and beyond his yearly salary i.e. if they pay him 40 million a year, they will be paying 20 million to Spanish government above and beyond his salary. And Messi isn’t paying any tax from his salary, at least that’s what I think she means.
        However I know nothing about not being nice to fans, so do spill about that please!!!

      • mmerain says:

        No’ I think she means that he does NOT pay his taxes at all, like fraud. My aunt told me about it on Sunday’ but i can still be wrong.

      • OhDear says:

        Not to say he’s a terrible human being, but he’s not as nice as he’s reputed to be. He was charged with tax fraud in Spain late last year and paid I think $15 million in back taxes only in late June. He left after being substituted in a charity match last year in the US and ditched interviews and fan signings, where fans had paid a couple thousand dollars for it. There’s also a video of him refusing to shake a mascot’s (the little kids who go out with the players during the lineups) hand before a match and of him purposefully kicking a ball to the stands during a match.

        He’s also rumored to be very passive aggressive at Barca – for example, he allegedly texted Pep Guardiola saying that he didn’t feel that he was an important part of the team and that maybe he will move to a new club – which was meant to get Ibra out of Barca. In a non-passive aggressive move, Guardiola supposedly banned players from drinking soda during the season. When he announced it to the players, Messi allegedly got up, got a can of soda, drank it in front of Guardiola, and asked him what he was going to do about it.

      • minime says:

        Thanks @OhDear
        That sums it up very well.

        He was charged with tax fraud (what he tried to refuse until it was impossible to hide it anymore) and there are many stories (and videos) of him not being nice to the fans, like with the case of that little mascot that he ignored. To make it worse, after the backlash he received for that, he stated that he was so sorry that he even tracked down the little boy. Problem was that in the pic he showed with him the boy looked at least 4 years older than the former one 😉 Of course that doesn’t make him a terrible human being but also doesn’t make him the nicest one.

        I don’t know why people really think that he’s such a nice person. Probably it’s because of the comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo that always has this arrogant look and the vain behavior. Funny is that Ronaldo is known for being really nice to fans and a huge philanthropist. Ronaldo sold the golden boot he won 2011 and gave the money to fund schools for children in Gaza.

  30. Mike says:

    Who the hell cares if she touched the cup. It isn’t the holy grail. FIFA is way too full of itself if the equate a trophy with something actually important. The Stanley Cup gets touched by everybody and it is fine.

    • Em says:

      The World Cup is actually important. It’s the WORLD Cup, as in, it brings together the world. And it’s not the replica that can’t be touched (the one Rihanna touched) but the “original” (it was stolen twice) 18 carat 12lb gold cup that’s on display. Which is understandable.

    • Locke says:

      Are you seriously comparing the WORLD cup trophy to the Stanley cup?

    • M.A.F. says:

      Two different sports w/different sets of fans/rules.

      • Lady D says:

        Different sports, different rules, but I’d wager fans are the same the world over. When it comes to our favourite sports, we put the ‘fan’ in fanatic.

    • cynicalsmirk says:

      The Stanley Cup you see everyone carrying around is a replica. The original is in a vault at the HHOF.

  31. Naddie says:

    What a stupid rule, never knew about that. Rihanna is stupid as well, but not for touching an object.

  32. Nene says:

    @Mike… Football is the holy grail of sports globally because it has the most number of fans and it’s the most common/popular sport. The world cup trophy is the most coveted cup in sports history. Ofcourse the USA is the exception cos they’ve got their own football.

  33. Amy says:

    It’s a replica they are fooling around with, not the real thing. I think the real one is only brought out for official purposes and the players maybe get to pose with it once as a team before the replica is given out to be played with. Same deal with the Stanley Cup. The DM is looking for controversy where there is none.

  34. Nene says:

    Rihanna has been rooting for the German team from the outset so I don’t think she is trolling with the celebration and tweets.
    I’ve seen some of her tweets, I believe she really knows football and not just an average football fan.

  35. ashley says:

    She’s a genuine football fan. She loves the german team,she’s been a fan of them for years and vice versa. I enjoyed her twitter commentary on the world cup,very smart.

  36. Francis says:

    Wasn’t she just rooting for Netherlands? Not that it’s a big deal.
    I don’t think it’s any big deal that she touched the cup.
    Besides I was too busy looking at the HOT German players to even notice her or what she touched.
    I loved how the players families, Wives and Girlfriends were allowed on the field when They won and the players were joyously laying on the field,or just celebrating with them, it was so sweet.
    I m glad Germany won. They were definitely the strongest team.
    Congratulations Germany.

  37. Amy says:

    I don’t see anything wrong with it…if this is the worst thing they can find wrong with a celeb, they’re pretty lucky!

  38. Josefa says:

    I don’t think she was ever trolling. Just throwing the usual football fan shade. The only people who take those kind of comments seriously are those from the trolled countries who take football to seriously (and Americans who follow celeb gossip, apparently).

    World Cup Fever is INCREDIBLY contagious. I don’t give half a damn about football, but every 4 years I become a huge fan thanks to the WC. And the team you root for always changes as the matches go by, especially if the one your from is out of the competition or never was in it (like it’s Rih’s case).

    As someone above said, if this is the worst they can say about Rihanna right now then she’s been behaving like a XXI Century Mother Theresa.

  39. FF says:

    Touch it like it ain’t no thang, Ri.

    Because it really isn’t. (lol to this transgressive touch of RiRi narrative tho, like the cup is a crime scene or whatnot.)