Germany vs Curacao: Meet the two zoo animals predicting the match result

More than a decade after Paul the Octopus became one of football's most famous predictors, a German zoo has unveiled two new animal forecasters ahead of Germany's upcoming match against Curacao. Paul shot to international fame during the 2010 FIFA World Cup after correctly predicting the outcome of every Germany match and even forecasting Spain's victory over the Netherlands in the final. His remarkable success turned him into a global sensation and one of the most memorable stories of the tournament.

Now, Cologne Zoo is hoping to recreate some of that magic with two of its most popular residents: Tarak the elephant and Walter the orangutan. Tarak, an Asian elephant known for his love of footballs, was given two balls decorated with the flags of Germany and Curaçao. In a move interpreted by zoo staff as a prediction, Tarak crushed the ball representing Germany's opponents while leaving the German ball untouched. The zoo believes the elephant's choice signals confidence in a German victory when the two nations meet on Sunday.

Watch the video here

Walter, however, sees things differently. The orangutan was presented with two food-filled boxes, each representing one of the competing teams. Although he initially picked up both boxes, Walter ultimately chose to eat from the box linked to Curaçao, suggesting he expects the underdogs to pull off a surprise result.

Also Read: PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and Satwik-Chirag headline India's Asian Games 2026 squad

The split predictions have created plenty of excitement among football fans, who still remember the incredible accuracy displayed by Paul the Octopus during major international tournaments. Paul correctly predicted four of Germany's six matches during the 2008 European Championship before producing a perfect record throughout the 2010 World Cup. His final prediction, Spain defeating the Netherlands in the World Cup final, cemented his legendary status in football folklore.

With Germany set to face Curaçao on Sunday, attention now turns to whether Tarak or Walter will prove to be the more reliable football oracle. For now, football fans can only wait to discover which animal predictor got it right.

How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India

Multiple group-stage matches that will take place simultaneously will be aired across the Zee5 app and website.

Link: https://www.zee5.com/