On Thursday, the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, and an important resident of Rue de La Loi is preparing to share his predictions.
Maximus Textoris Pulcher, the feline advisor to Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA), has officially announced on Instagram that he is an "oracle animal".
The most famous animal oracle was Paul the octopus, who became the unlikely star of the 2010 World Cup after correctly predicting the outcome of eight matches.
He made his name by successfully choosing a mussel from one of two boxes bearing the flags of competing nations.
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In addition to cephalopods like Paul, sharks, pigs, and elephants have predicted the outcomes of World Cups – some with greater success than others.
Now Belgium has its own contender in the shape of Maximus. Part of the appeal lies in the contrast. International football is increasingly driven by sophisticated data analysis, AI and endless statistics.
An animal making random selections might offer the exact opposite: a playful reminder not to take the beautiful game too seriously.
