FIFA World cup 2018 Russia May or Not the predictor PAUL

Of all the things that won't be at this summer's tournament, it is the absence of a clairvoyant octopus which will be felt most keenly by those hoping to make a few bucks by gambling on the results of the games. Paul the Octopus made international headlines during the 2010 World Cup by inexplicably predicting the winners of several games throughout the tournament. How so? His handlers would place two food boxes into his tank, each emblazoned with the flag of the two nations who were playing each other. Paul would then eat the food from one of the boxes, thus 'predicting' the winner of each match.

It sounds a bit hokey, no? Well, consider the fact that Paul correctly predicted the winner of 12 of 14 matches throughout the tournament – a success rate of over 85 percent. Such was Paul's notoriety that after one of his unsuccessful predictions, angry German fans called for him to be eaten, which prompted the Spanish prime minister to offer him official state protection and safe haven in Spain. In the end, Paul died of natural causes a few months after the World Cup, taking his incredibly effective, oracle-like predictions with him to his watery grave. Completing the circle of soothsaying animal life, this year Achilles the deaf Hermitage cat will take the place of Paul to pick match results and have football fans purring at his hot picks.
Made a Digital illustration on basic study.