What is the ‘Essie Curse’? VTuber steps away after England’s semifinal defeat (Image via Getty)VTuber Essie says she is stepping away from making World Cup predictions after her latest pick ended in another defeat, bringing back the viral “Essie Curse” that has followed the tournament. The independent VTuber, who posts as @essie_ch, became an unexpected talking point during the World Cup after fans noticed a strange pattern. Several teams she publicly supported ended up losing soon after. Brazil, Mexico, Portugal and the United States were among the teams linked to the trend, turning her match-day jersey choices into a running joke online. After England’s dramatic semifinal defeat to Argentina on July 15, Essie suggested she would no longer be choosing sides before matches, saying she was putting her jerseys away ahead of the World Cup final.How Essie’s World Cup predictions turned into the viral ‘Essie Curse’What started as a light-hearted fan tradition slowly became one of the most talked-about online stories of the tournament.Fans began tracking Essie’s predictions after a number of teams she supported were knocked out. Every time she appeared in a team’s shirt or posted support for a side, social media users jokingly wondered whether that team was now in trouble.For a brief moment, it looked like the streak had ended. Essie backed France in their quarterfinal against Morocco, and France won 2-0 to reach the semifinals. The victory led some fans to believe the so-called curse was finally over.That feeling did not last long.Essie once again supported France before their semifinal clash with Spain. This time, France lost 2-0, bringing the joke back into the spotlight and reviving discussion around the “Essie Curse” across social media.Anthony Gordon’s England lead disappears as Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez send Argentina throughBefore England faced Argentina in the semifinal, even the official Twitch UK & Ireland account joined the joke.The account posted: “This is a message to @essie_ch & essie alone. Please back Argentina tonight they’d love your support.”Instead of supporting Argentina, Essie chose England. She shared a photo of herself wearing an England jersey and wrote: “england….. england please…… please england…..”For much of the match, England fans may have felt relieved.Anthony Gordon gave England the lead in the second half and put the team in a strong position to reach the final. However, Argentina produced a late turnaround when it mattered most.Enzo Fernandez scored in the 85th minute to level the match. Then, deep into stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez found the winner to complete a 2-1 comeback victory.The result sent Argentina into the World Cup final, where they will face Spain.Soon after the match, Essie reacted on social media. Referring to her collection of team jerseys, she posted that “there will be no jersey worn” on Sunday and added that she had to “put them down.”Many fans interpreted the message as her retirement from making World Cup predictions before the final.Whether the famous curse is real or just a coincidence remains part of the joke. What is clear is that Essie has become one of the tournament’s most unexpected online personalities. With Argentina and Spain now preparing for the final, her decision means the last match could take place without any influence from the viral prediction trend, unless she changes her mind and makes one final pick.