Legend of the Cartaginés curse: 81 years without titles, superstitions, and the miracle that broke the historic drought.

A Sleeping Giant Of Soccer

Club Sport Cartaginés, founded in 1906, is one of the oldest and most historic soccer teams in the CONCACAF region. Throughout its existence, it has won four Costa Rican championship titles (1923, 1936, 1940 and 2022) and one CONCACAF championship title in 1994.

However, its greatness has been marked by a painful drought of local titles that began in 1940, the year it won its last national championship. Since then, the team has come eight times close to winning the title, but has always finished runner-up.

The Curse Emergence

Cartaginés’ last victory in a local tournament in 1940 gave rise to a popular mythology that explains the team’s title drought.

On January 12, 1941, after winning the championship, the players of Cartaginés, in the midst of euphoria, entered the Basílica de los Ángeles in Cartago on horseback and in a state of drunkenness. According to legend, their disorderly conduct during the celebration was punished by the priest officiating at the time, who issued a curse: “The team will not be champions again until the last of the players who participated in this sacrilege dies”.

Legend of the Cartaginés curse: 81 years without titles, superstitions, and the miracle that broke the historic drought.
Source: Diario La Extra
Superstitions And Popular Beliefs

The Los Angeles Basilica, where this legend originated, is the main catholic temple in Costa Rica. Every year, millions of Costa Ricans make pilgrimages to this place to worship the Virgin of the Angels. The story of the Cartaginés curse, with its religious connotations, has captured the imagination of soccer fans for decades. Another popular legend has it that someone buried an evil spell doll under the grass of the Cartaginés stadium, thus perpetuating the team’s bad streak.

Breaking The Curse

In 2012, the last survivor of the 1940 champion team passed away, which some interpreted as the possible end of the curse. However, it was not until 2022 that Cartaginés broke its 81-year title-less streak by defeating Liga Deportiva Alajuelense in an agonizing final that was decided in extra time.

The victory was seen by many as a true miracle, closing a chapter of suffering and giving hope to new generations of fans who were finally able to see their team as champions.

Sensorial Sunsets