A tiny oranda goldfish named Swimbappe has been making daily predictions of 2026 World Cup matches from a tank designed like a soccer field outside an office building in downtown Toronto [1, 2, 3]. Swimbappe is named after France captain Kylian Mbappe and has drawn steady crowds of passersby who stop to watch the fish swim left or right to indicate the predicted winner of each day's match [1, 2, 3]. Flags of the competing teams are displayed above the tank to guide viewers [1, 2, 3].
Swimbappe has made 14 correct match predictions, 4 incorrect, and indicated 10 draws since the tournament began [1, 2, 3]. Tim Glenn, the creative director at OneMethod and Swimbappe's creator, said, "The draws are a little bit difficult for him to communicate to us with his fish body" given the limitations of using swimming direction to signal outcomes [1]. Glenn described the display as "our way of participating in this big cultural moment that's happening for our city here in Toronto and also for our country here in Canada," adding that "everyone's excited to see him in the window on their way to work or on their way to a game" [1]. He also noted, "There's a method to his madness" behind the predictions [1].
Swimbappe follows in the footsteps of famous animal oracles such as Paul the Octopus in 2010 who predicted World Cup results [1, 2, 3]. Similar animal predictors have also gained attention elsewhere during the World Cup, including Merlin the Duck in Mexico City and Dawn the Duck in Providence, Rhode Island [1, 2].
On June 19, Swimbappe predicted an upset victory for underdog Haiti over Brazil in their Group C match, demonstrating the fish’s engagement with current games [1, 2]. The goldfish tank remains on display for World Cup fans and tourists in Toronto throughout the tournament [1, 2, 3].
