A female sandbar shark named Ritinha has become one of the early viral stars of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after predicting Brazil's opening-match victory over Morocco.
The prediction took place at AquaRio aquarium in Rio de Janeiro, where divers presented Ritinha with two food-scented canisters. One was wrapped in Brazil's colours and flag, while the other carried Morocco's flag. To the delight of gathered fans and media crews, the shark swam directly towards the Brazil-marked container.
More Than A World Cup Gimmick
For AquaRio, however, the event was about more than generating headlines ahead of football's biggest tournament.
The aquarium used the World Cup spotlight to draw attention to shark conservation and marine education, hoping the light-hearted prediction would encourage people to view sharks differently.
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"We chose sharks because they are a species that needs conservation, but have long been associated with many negative stereotypes," AquaRio director Marcelo Szpilman said. "Having sharks predict the outcome of a match is a very interesting idea and also an effective interactive activity that attracts the public's attention."
According to AquaRio, the aim was to use the public's curiosity about a "psychic shark" as a gateway to discussions about ocean conservation, habitat preservation and the threats facing shark populations around the world.
A Familiar World Cup Tradition
Ritinha may be the newest animal oracle, but she follows a well-established World Cup tradition.
The most famous example remains Paul the Octopus, who achieved global fame during the 2010 World Cup by correctly predicting the outcomes of Germany's matches and Spain's eventual triumph.
Over the years, a host of other creatures, including parakeets, turtles, elephants, cats and even other octopuses, have been enlisted to forecast World Cup results, with varying levels of success.
What Models Predict For World Cup 2026
Ritinha is not the only one making World Cup predictions.
Ahead of the tournament, Opta's supercomputer ran 10,000 simulations to estimate each team's chances of winning the title. The model identified Spain as the most likely champions, giving La Roja a 16.1% probability of lifting the trophy.
France were ranked as the second-most likely winners with a 13% chance, followed by England (11.2%) and defending champions Argentina (10.4%).
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