Move over Paul the Octopus, now we have Billy the Cat predicting FIFA World Cup 2026 match winners

Before a match, his owners hold out two miniature national flags representing the teams. Billy taps his paw on one of the flags to select his winner

With FIFA World Cup 2026 gripping the globe, an adorable one-year-old cat named Billy has become an overnight internet sensation for predicting match results.

The celebrity feline lives in Northern Ireland, with his owners, Linka Lin and Mark Kelly. (Photo: Instagram)

The celebrity feline lives in Northern Ireland, with his owners, Linka Lin and Mark Kelly. He was rescued from an animal charity when he was just three months old and is recognisable by a cute, distinctive mark on his nose.

How does he make predictions?

Before a match, his owners hold out two miniature national flags representing the competing teams. Billy looks at them and taps his paw on one of the flags to select his winner.

Billy blew everyone’s minds by correctly predicting the winners of his first 19 consecutive matches excluding games that ended in a draw. He even accurately predicted major games like Argentina beating Austria.

Billy is drawing comparisons to Paul the Octopus, the marine “oracle” from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Paul became a global phenomenon by choosing food from boxes decorated with team flags, correctly predicting 8 out of 8 matches, including Spain winning the finals.