Who Won the 2022 World Cup? the Wild Animal Predictions and Shocking Final Unpacked
By Elena Rostova
Betting markets in mid-November 2022 viewed South America and Western Europe as the clear favorites. Sportsbooks opened with Brazil leading the boards at +400, followed closely by defending champions France (+550) and Argentina (+650). England and Spain sat right behind them. Quantitative models from investment banks and sports analytics firms ran tens of thousands of simulations. Many identified Brazil as the statistical favorite based on squad depth and expected goal differentials across South American qualifying rounds.
Human algorithms were only half the spectacle. Ever since Paul the Octopus gained fame during the 2010 tournament in South Africa, major soccer championships invite animal clairvoyants. Qatar 2022 took the tradition to ridiculous heights.
In Tokyo, an otter named Taiyo made international headlines by picking Japan to upset four-time champion Germany in the group stage. Taiyo dropped a mini soccer ball into a red-and-white bucket marked with the Japanese flag. The animal ignored the German option completely. Twenty-four hours later, Japan stunned Germany 2-1, sending social media into an absolute frenzy.
Other animal oracles stumbled. Camilla the Camel, based in England, tipped Gareth Southgate's squad to make a deep title run before France eliminated them in the quarterfinals. Dubai's predictive falcons and various European zoo residents posted erratic track records throughout the group phase. When the dust settled, the two heavyweight favorites from either side of the Atlantic met at Lusail.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
