Celebrity pygmy hippo Moo Deng returned to making football predictions on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand. Moo Deng first chose France over Spain and later favored England ahead of Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semi-final matchups. Moo Deng's mother, Jonah, made a different choice by selecting Argentina.

The event was organized ahead of the FIFA World Cup's decisive fixtures and involved zoo director Narongwit Chodchoi and keeper Benz using watermelon halves carved with team names and flags representing each semi-finalist team. The zoo emphasized that the results were purely for entertainment.

Moo Deng, born on 10 July 2024 to parents Jonah and Tony, became a global internet sensation in September 2024 and celebrated her second birthday with a four-day zoo party on 10 July 2026. Officials noted that the prediction exercise also forms part of the zoo's animal enrichment programme.

Sources