Milu the Cat Correctly Picks Brazil to Beat Japan at 2026 World Cup

Overview

• Brazil beat Japan in Houston on June 29, and that result matched a pre-match video in which Milu appeared to choose Brazil.
• The pre-match clip attracted more than 2.2 million views and over 11,100 comments before kickoff, driving a surge of shares and reactions online.
• Milu’s tutor, Natan Antônio Pinheiro, records the cat choosing between containers labeled with each team and an option for a draw as the ritualized method for the pick.
• After the match Pinheiro celebrated the correct call on social media while followers posted playful reactions and some said they used Milu’s choice for friendly betting pools.
• Coverage frames Milu as part of a recurring pop-culture trend of animal 'predictors' that began with Paul the Octopus and treats the phenomenon as entertainment rather than scientific forecasting.