Toronto goldfish Swimbappe racks up 14 correct World Cup predictions from his miniature pitch

A goldfish named Swimbappe has emerged as one of the more unlikely stars of the 2026 World Cup, correctly forecasting 14 match results from a custom-built aquarium in downtown Toronto — with only four wrong calls and ten draws to his record.

The vibrant orange oranda, named after France captain Kylian Mbappé, lives in a tank designed to resemble a football pitch and is displayed prominently outside an office building in the city. Each day, with the competing nations’ flags positioned above the water, a small crowd gathers to watch Swimbappe swim left or right to deliver his verdict on upcoming fixtures.

The fish is the brainchild of Tim Glenn, creative director at design agency OneMethod, who conceived the idea to mark the World Cup being co-hosted in Canada. Glenn sifted through nearly 100 potential names before landing on Swimbappe. “This is kind of 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,” he said.

Interpreting the results is not always straightforward. “The draws are a little bit difficult for him to communicate to us with his fish body,” Glenn acknowledged.

Swimappe follows a storied tradition of animal oracles. Paul the Octopus became a global phenomenon during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, correctly predicting Germany’s results throughout the tournament. Orangutans and elephants have since tried their hand at sports forecasting with varying success.

This edition of the tournament has produced its own menagerie of mascots. In Mexico City, a duck named Merlin waddled through streets in a miniature Mexico jersey, while Dawn the Duck joined Scotland supporters in Providence, Rhode Island.

Swimappe’s audience has grown steadily. A group of schoolchildren were recently heard chanting his name as they passed the tank, moments after he predicted a victory for Haiti — heavy underdogs — against Brazil in their Group C match. “Everyone’s excited to see him in the window on their way to work or on their way to a game,” Glenn said.

“There’s a method to his madness,” Glenn added. “We just have to trust his process and believe in Swimbappe.”