A Japanese grey parrot that has gained worldwide attention for its sports predictions has forecast that Argentina will win the FIFA World Cup final, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Sunday.
According to the report, the parrot, which has become a social media sensation because of its repeated predictions before major international fixtures, selected Argentina as the team most likely to lift the World Cup trophy.
The latest forecast has quickly attracted widespread interest among football supporters, with many fans sharing the prediction across online platforms.
The bird has earned a reputation for correctly predicting the outcomes of several high-profile football matches in recent years.
Although not every prediction has proved accurate, its overall record has helped make it one of the most recognised animal forecasters in international sport.
Animal predictions have become a popular feature of major tournaments since the famous German octopus "Paul" correctly predicted the winners of several matches, including Spain's victory in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final.
Since then, a variety of animals, including parrots, cats, elephants and penguins, have been used by media outlets and fans to make light-hearted forecasts before important sporting events.
The Japanese grey parrot's latest prediction has added another layer of anticipation before the World Cup final, with supporters eager to see whether its latest forecast will once again prove correct when the champions are crowned.