Moo Deng, the female pygmy hippo who became a global sensation in 2024, chose this Saturday a watermelon decorated with the letters "ARG" and the Argentine flag to predict that the albiceleste team will defeat Spain in the final of the 2026 World Cup, which will take place on Sunday at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The animal, a resident of the Khao Kheow zoo —located about 110 kilometers east of Bangkok, in Chonburi Province—, quickly made its choice between the two watermelons that its caretakers prepared, one for each finalist selection.
Narongwit Chodchoi, the director of the center, clarified that the activity has a playful purpose and focuses on animal welfare: "The activity aims to entertain visitors while also providing enrichment and exercise for the animal," he noted, emphasizing that the zoo does not promote favoritism towards any team nor encourage betting, an activity that is prohibited in Thailand.
This is not the first time Moo Deng has tried to predict the future of the tournament.
Last Tuesday, in a similar event, the animal predicted France and England as the finalists, a prediction that did not come true: Spain eliminated France 2-0 with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro, while Argentina came back and defeated England 2-1 with goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez, the latter with a header in stoppage time after an assist from Lionel Messi.
This Sunday’s final will mark a unique showdown for the title: Argentina and Spain have never before met in a World Cup final.
The Albiceleste arrives as the defending champion after winning Qatar 2022 and is aiming to achieve its second consecutive title. Its main figure is Lionel Messi, 39 years old and the all-time top scorer in World Cups, with 21 goals.
The successful precedent of Moo Deng outside of football reinforces its reputation as an "oracle": in November 2024, the animal chose the fruit marked with the name of Donald Trump over that of Kamala Harris, accurately predicting the outcome of the United States presidential elections.
Trump has specifically confirmed his attendance at the World Cup final Argentina-Spain and will participate in the trophy presentation alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Moo Deng —whose name means "Jumping Pig" in Thai— was born on July 10, 2024, and went viral two months later due to videos posted on social media by his caregivers.
Its popularity tripled the zoo's visits in the last quarter of 2024, with nearly 600,000 people, and increased revenue by between 70% and 80%.
The tradition of "oracle" animals in football is most famously represented by Paul the octopus, who correctly predicted the outcomes of all eight matches he was asked about during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, including Spain's victory over the Netherlands in the final. If Moo Deng achieves that same level of accuracy, Argentina will lift its fourth World Cup this Sunday.
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