With the 2026 World Cup now underway, many fans are looking back at Paul, the “psychic” octopus who became one of the strangest breakout stars of the 2010 tournament. His bizarre run of correct predictions turned him into a global talking point—and, for a while, a target for angry supporters online.
Paul shot to worldwide fame during the World Cup in South Africa after repeatedly getting Germany’s results right.
He obviously wasn’t able to speak, but handlers would place two food boxes in front of him, one marked with Germany’s flag and the other with the opposing team. Time after time, he picked the side that eventually won.
Paul was based at Sea Life Oberhausen in Germany, although he had originally been hatched in Weymouth, England. His predictions were limited to Germany’s matches and a few select high-profile games, but his run was remarkable enough to make headlines far beyond football.
Germany enjoyed a strong campaign overall, but the mood around Paul changed dramatically when he predicted they would lose their semi-final against Spain.
That forecast turned out to be correct too, and Germany’s hopes of lifting the trophy were dashed. Spain, of course, went on to become world champions.
After the defeat, some Germany supporters were desperate to find someone to blame and unfairly turned their frustration toward Paul.
According to BBC Sport, some even threatened to turn him into seafood meals such as calamari or paella.
In Spain, though, he was celebrated, especially after correctly backing them to beat the Netherlands in the final and secure their first World Cup title.
Paul’s perfect 2010 World Cup record ended at eight correct predictions in total, making him one of the most famous “oracle animals” in sporting history.
Sadly, Paul was not around for long after his moment of fame. The octopus died in October 2010, only a few months after the tournament ended.
Workers at the Sea Life centre in Oberhausen said they were ‘devastated’ by his death at the age of two and a half.
Before that, an aquarium spokesperson had insisted he was ‘not for sale’.
They also said he would be “stepping back from the official oracle business”.
During his final months, Paul returned to his usual role of “making children laugh”.
There is no octopus involved in the 2026 World Cup, but the tournament is already historic: it is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026, and for the first time it features 48 teams and 104 matches.
One modern replacement for Paul’s old fame is German economist Joachim Klement, who again shared a tournament prediction before kickoff after correctly calling the last three winners.
His latest forecast does not favor Germany this time either.
Instead, he believes the Netherlands will finally win the competition for the first time, years after finishing as runners-up in 2010.
Whether he’s right remains to be seen.
Fans will have to wait and watch.