In the history of World Cups, different characters and events have been etched in the memory of football fans. Such was the case of Paul the octopus who, during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, became one of the stars of the tournament for his accurate predictions about the fate of the teams.
Paul surpassed the fame of the official mascot — the leopard Zakumi — and managed to capture the attention of different television networks around the world.
YOU CAN SEE: The time when the World Cup was stolen and found by a dog on the streets of England.
What is the story of Paul the octopus, one of the most famous football oracles?
Paul the octopus was born in English waters, but was raised in the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany. Known as the 'animal oracle', Paul's popularity reached extraordinary levels in 2010 thanks to his accurate predictions in which he anticipated the destiny of the German national team in the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Major television networks such as BBC and CNN interrupted their programming to broadcast the predictions of the 'star of the moment' live. Of all his predictions made in the tournament, the last one is the most remembered, as he predicted Spain's victory over the Netherlands in the final of the World Cup in South Africa.
Paul the octopus predicted Spain's pass to the final in the World Cup in South Africa. Photo: Twenty minutes
Although many considered him the 'figure of the World Cup', the great impact Paul the octopus had was not entirely good. According to the aquarium's coach on CNN, the cephalopod "had to be constantly monitored to prevent him from being killed." This was due to the growing antipathy generated among fans of the teams that were negatively affected by his predictions.
To ensure his safety, the environmental association People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) launched a campaign requesting the release of the animal. However, this action did not succeed.
On October 25, 2010, at the age of two and a half, Paul the octopus died in his aquarium from natural causes. "We are absolutely devastated. Apparently, he died peacefully during the night, from natural causes, and we are comforted to know that he enjoyed a good life here," said Sea Life.
In memory of the cephalopod, the Sea Life aquarium inaugurated a statue over two meters high with his portrait. Likewise, in 2014, on the occasion of the next World Cup, Google remembered Paul with a special doodle.
YOU CAN SEE: 10 curiosities that you surely didn't know about the venue of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Monument of Paul the octopus at the Sea Life aquarium in Germany. Photo: Spanish