The white lion Chao Boy at Khon Kaen Zoo in Khon Kaen continued its 'prophetic' streak by correctly predicting Spain would defeat Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final on 19/7.
"Congratulations to the Spanish national team for successfully winning the FIFA World Cup 2026!" Khon Kaen Zoo posted on Facebook on 20/7. "Boy, Khon Kaen's white lion, accurately predicted the match results from the semifinals to the final, creating excitement and joy for fans throughout the tournament."
The zoo added, "Thank you to everyone who followed and participated in predictions with Boy."
Chao Boy selects the winning team by jumping up and biting a piece of meat hung beneath the flag representing each team. Chao Boy makes three predictions, with the flag positions swapped after each attempt.
During its prediction before the World Cup final on 17/7, the lion bit the meat under Spain's flag two times, indicating the European team would win the World Cup.
Tipawadee Kittikun, director of Khon Kaen Zoo, explained that the football prediction display is part of the zoo's regular animal behavioral enrichment program. By seeking food and moving, the animals can express their natural instincts, improving both their physical and mental health.
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Chao Boy selected France as the third-place team in the 2026 World Cup. *Thai TV5*
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Chao Boy predicted the outcome of the Argentina - England match. *MGR Online*
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Chao Boy predicted the outcome of the Spain - France match. *MGR Online*
Chao Boy gained attention for accurately predicting many major football match outcomes. This year, the lion correctly predicted the two World Cup semifinal results: Argentina defeating England and Spain defeating France. However, it incorrectly predicted the third-place match between England and France, choosing France as the winner.
In 2020, Chao Boy correctly predicted 6 of 8 Euro matches and accurately chose Italy as the champion. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 'prophetic' lion predicted 19 of 22 matches correctly, achieving an accuracy rate of over 86%. At that time, Chao Boy predicted France would defeat Argentina and win the championship, but the actual result was the opposite.
By Hong Hanh (Sources: Bangkok Post, Khon Kaen)
