As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across the United States, Mexico and Canada, attention will once again turn to the biggest stars, teams and storylines in global football. This edition marks the first World Cup hosted by three countries and features an expanded 48-team format, with defending champions Argentina aiming to retain the title they won in Qatar four years ago.
But beyond the goals, drama and tactical battles, the World Cup has also long been accompanied by one of its strangest side attractions: animals believed to predict match results.
Over the years, zoos, aquariums and conservation centres have turned tournament prediction into a playful public spectacle, drawing global attention to creatures ranging from parrots to cats, otters and even meerkats.
The most famous of them all remains Paul the octopus, who rose to global fame during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and became a cultural phenomenon.
Paul the octopus
Paul, nicknamed the âoctopus oracle,â remains the most successful and iconic of all football-predicting animals. Based at an aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany, he achieved an estimated 87% success rate across his career.
During Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Paul correctly predicted multiple Germany matches and famously called Spainâs victory over the Netherlands in the final. His method involved choosing between boxes marked with competing flags, each containing food, with the box opened first interpreted as his prediction.
His fame quickly transcended sport as offers reportedly emerged to âtransferâ him to other zoos for large sums, while his influence even reached global politics, with Iranian officials famously criticising the attention he received.
Paul died shortly after the 2010 tournament at the age of two and a half, with his legacy later commemorated through statues and tributes, including a Google Doodle.
Mani the parakeet
Sticking with the 2010 World Cup, Mani the parakeet, born in Malaysia and based in Singapore, also gained attention for his prediction streak. Mani correctly picked all four quarter-final winners, including the Netherlandsâ victory over Brazil, before missing in the semi-finals and final, where he backed the Dutch side against Spain.
His rise sparked comparisons with Paul and even a symbolic âshowdownâ between the two animal predictors. After his World Cup fame faded, Mani returned to working with his owner, continuing a form of âparrot astrologyâ popular in Singapore.
Achilles the cat
At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, attention turned to Achilles, a deaf white cat from the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, who was designated the tournamentâs official feline forecaster.
Achilles consistently chose Russia in his predictions, a bias his handlers attributed to his âpatriotic instincts.â Despite criticism of the concept, he became one of the tournamentâs most talked-about side attractions, continuing Russiaâs long tradition of museum cats.
Taiyo the otter and others
At the 2022 World Cup, Taiyo the otter in Japan gained attention after correctly predicting Japanâs shock 2â1 victory over Germany. Using a simple bucket-selection method with a miniature football, Taiyo became a fan favourite for his playful accuracy.
While none of these animals possess any proven predictive ability, their place in World Cup culture endures, offering fans a light-hearted distraction from the intensity of tournament football.
As the 2026 World Cup unfolds, it would be no surprise if a new generation of âanimal prophetsâ once again steals a share of the global spotlight.
