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Elmo wearing a Team USA soccer jersey
Knicks fans literally put Elmo’s head on a spike after he refused to back his hometown team during the NBA Finals. However, the Sesame Street staple will not be making the same mistake when it comes to picking sides during the World Cup.
Elmo had not made his Sesame Street debut when the New York Knicks won a championship in 1973, and the furry red monster was one of the many New York City natives who had not been around to witness the victory that sparked a drought that spanned for more than 50 years heading into the most recent NBA season.
Millions of people in The Big Apple rallied around the team that punched its ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, and many of them lashed out at Elmo after he went the “I Hope Both Teams Have Fun” route instead of spurning the Spurs and embracing the squad that plays in the city where the fictional Sesame Street is located.
He tried to do some damage control to no real avail, and he seemingly learned from that misstep by taking a new approach during the World Cup.
Elmo made it clear he is rooting for Team USA at the World Cup after riling up Knicks fans
Elmo’s decision to sit on the fence during the Finals led to one fan parading around the streets of NYC with his severed head impaled on a spear above a sign that read “TRAITOR” in the wake of the Game 5 win that sealed the series for the Knicks.
NYC is not happy with Elmo😭 https://t.co/mHSgygZWqC pic.twitter.com/9WUEacgASq
— kira 👾 (@kirawontmiss) June 15, 2026
He appeared to have at least one ally on the team in the form of Jalen Brunson, who held up an Elmo doll with a sign that said “Forgive Me PLEASE” during the victory parade.
Elmo also declined to pick a side before Team USA kicked off its World Cup run with a win over Paraguay, but he alluded to the fallout in a video that was hosted before their showdown with Australia, where he donned an American jersey and stated, “Just to be clear, Elmo wants Team USA to win.”
Elmo just wants to set the record straight… ❤️❤️ GO TEAM USA! ⚽ pic.twitter.com/I30AujiDN3
— Elmo (@elmo) June 19, 2026
The puppet, who will have trouble dodging the bandwagon fan allegations, qualified that message by stressing “Elmo loves everybody” and asking people not to make his show of support into “a thing.”
Better late than never, Elmo.