FIFA Oracle Cat Predicts Russian Victory in Opening Match With Saudi Arabia

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Achilles the cat, who lives in St. Petersburg's Hermitage Museum and serves as the animal oracle for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup, has predicted a Russian victory over Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the tournament, a Sputnik correspondent has reported.
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The oracle cat made the prediction in St. Petersburg's World Cup press center by selecting a plate with food marked with the Russian national flag.

Achilles, a congenitally deaf snow-white cat, who also predicted the match winners during the 2017 Confederations Cup, is said to have been chosen as the World Cup animal oracle for being the most stress-resistant and human-oriented of about 50 cats living at the Hermitage.

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The cat made its prediction for the potential winner by choosing one of two plates of food, each marked with the flag of one of the teams.

The World Cup kicks off on Thursday, with Russia facing Saudi Arabia at Moscow's 81,000-seat Luzhniki Stadium. The tournament will be held at 12 stadiums in 11 Russian cities.

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