Every FIFA World Cup brings with it a new crop of unlikely pundits. From cats and elephants to sharks and jaguars, the 2026 FIFA World Cup once again saw a host of furry, feathered and finned predictors go viral with their match forecasts. Here’s a look at the tournament’s most accurate animal oracles and where they are now.
The original World Cup prediction King: Paul the Octopus
Prediction Rate: Over 90% accuracy. Bill correctly predicted 22 out of 24 total matches. He gained initial viral fame by maintaining a 100% flawless streak on his first 19 non-draw match predictions.
Rescued as a stray in Northern Ireland, Billy Heartnose, a two-year-old British Shorthair, became an internet sensation during the 2026 FIFA World Cup after correctly predicting the winners of his first 19 non-draw matches. Named for the heart-shaped marking on his nose, Billy achieved an accuracy rate of over 90%. His owners, Linka Lin and Mark Kelly, placed two miniature national flags in front of him before each match, and Billy “predicted” the winner by tapping one with his paw. Every correct pick earned him a treat. Following his viral fame, Billy continued to enjoy a pampered life in County Down with his massive array of fans.
Prediction: While early in the tournament zookeepers boasted a 100% prediction success rate, his overall track record fluctuated after predicting an upset win for Ecuador against Germany
Born in captivity, Tarak, a 20-year-old, 4.5-ton Asian elephant and breeding bull at Germany’s Cologne Zoo, became one of the breakout stars of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being named the zoo’s official “Elephant Oracle.” He made his predictions by choosing between giant footballs wrapped in national flags. Tarak correctly predicted Germany’s tournament opener by crushing the German-flagged ball before their emphatic 7-1 victory. He later accurately forecast an Ecuador upset over Germany, earning a reputation for his dramatic prediction style. After going viral, Tarak remains a star attraction at Cologne Zoo, where he continued to live with his herd while delighting visitors with his playful antics.
Prediction: 50% to 60% mark.While Walter has correctly forecasted numerous major tournament games—such as Germany’s wins in major competitions and famously predicting England’s loss in the Euro 2024 final to Spain—his results are frequently described as a coin flip.
Walter, a 37-year-old Sumatran orangutan, lived at Dortmund Zoo in Germany and began predicting football matches during the 2006 FIFA World Cup and went on to forecast results for multiple World Cups, UEFA Euros and German club matches. For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Walter made his predictions by choosing between baskets or sacks of treats marked with competing nations’ flags. Among his most memorable picks were confidently choosing Germany over Ivory Coast by ripping apart the rival sack, and carefully untying Germany’s basket before their Round of 32 win over Paraguay. Following the tournament, Walter continued to live at Dortmund Zoo
Prediction Rate: 66% accuracy (2 out of 3 matches correct). Ritinha successfully called Brazil’s group win over Haiti and their Round of 16 match against Norway. However, she missed her first call by choosing Brazil to beat Morocco in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Ritinha, a female shark at AquaRio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, became South America’s leading marine animal oracle during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, drawing comparisons to the famous Paul the Octopus. She made her predictions by swimming toward food-filled canisters wrapped in competing nations’ flags.Ritinha correctly backed Brazil in its opening match against Morocco, its group-stage clash with Haiti and its Round of 16 game against Norway by choosing the Brazil-marked canister each time. After the tournament, she remained a major attraction at AquaRio, where her prediction events also helped raise awareness about marine conservation.
Prediction Rate: Over 60–70% accuracy. Swimming in his miniature football pitch in Toronto, this oranda goldfish correctly predicted victories for France, Senegal, Argentina, and Canada.
Swimbappé, a vibrant orange oranda goldfish named after French football star Kylian Mbappé, became Toronto’s official “Goldfish Oracle” during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Housed in a 75-gallon tank designed like a miniature football pitch, he made his predictions by swimming towards one of two national flags placed on opposite sides of the tank. The tiny aquatic pundit correctly predicted several major wins, including victories for France, Senegal, Argentina and Canada, maintaining an accuracy rate of over 60–70%. His prediction events drew large crowds in downtown Toronto and even landed him TV and radio appearances across Canada. After the tournament, Swimbappé continued to enjoy life in his football-themed aquarium, while his creators hoped the real Kylian Mbappé would one day acknowledge his famous namesake.
Prediction Rate: 100% perfect record for the 2010 World Cup (8 out of 8 games correct). Across his entire career (including Euro 2008), he achieved an overall success rate of 12 out of 14 matches (85.7%).
Paul, a common octopus hatched in England in 2008 and later housed at the Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany, became the world’s most famous animal oracle during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He made his predictions by choosing between two transparent boxes containing mussels, each wrapped in a competing nation’s flag. Paul correctly predicted all seven of Germany’s matches at the 2010 World Cup, including their defeats, before accurately backing Spain to beat the Netherlands in the final. Across Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, he achieved an impressive 12 correct predictions from 14 matches. Paul died of natural causes in October 2010 at the age of two-and-a-half. There was a point where Paul has his own agent by the name of Chris Davis, a newspaper offered €50,000 to use Paul for a full-page advert and a big Russian bookmaker wanted to buy him for €100,000. Today, he is remembered with a memorial statue at the Oberhausen aquarium and remains the gold standard for every animal oracle that followed.
