Every FIFA World Cup brings more than thrilling football. It also revives a familiar spectacle: predictions about who will lift the trophy. The 2026 tournament is no exception. Around the world, animals such as octopuses, birds, camels, elephants, cats, as well as objects believed by some to possess mythical powers have once again been used to predict match results.
Many people dismiss these practices as harmless entertainment. If they remain nothing more than playful amusement, they may appear insignificant. Yet others place real confidence in such predictions. Some believe that an animal or object possesses the ability to reveal future events. From an Islamic perspective, this issue extends far beyond entertainment. It touches the very foundation of faith.
Islam teaches that knowledge of the unseen, including future events, belongs exclusively to Allah. No human being, animal, or object possesses independent access to the unseen unless Allah reveals it.
Allah says:
قُل لَّا يَعْلَمُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
“Say, ‘None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.’” (QS. an-Naml [27]: 65)
This verse establishes a fundamental principle of Islamic belief. Knowledge of the future does not belong to creation. Even the prophets knew only what Allah chose to reveal to them.
Allah also declares:
عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِن رَّسُولٍ
“He is the Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His unseen to anyone, except to a messenger whom He has chosen.” (QS. al-Jinn [72]: 26–27)
Accordingly, attributing supernatural predictive powers to an animal that “chooses” the next World Cup champion has no basis in Islam. Animals may be trained to select food, colors, or objects, but interpreting those choices as access to future knowledge is a theological error rather than a sporting curiosity.
Islam’s Strong Warning Against Fortune-Telling
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) issued clear warnings against fortune-telling and divination.
مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلَاةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً
“Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, his prayers will not be accepted for forty nights.” (HR. Muslim)
In another narration, he said:
مَنْ أَتَى كَاهِنًا أَوْ عَرَّافًا فَصَدَّقَهُ بِمَا يَقُولُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ
“Whoever visits a soothsayer or fortune-teller and believes what he says has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad.” (HR. Ahmad)
These traditions demonstrate that Islam prohibits not only practicing fortune-telling but also believing its claims. The objective is to safeguard tawhid, the ultimate knowledge and power belong to Allah alone.
Prediction vs. Fortune-telling
At the same time, Islam does not forbid rational forecasting based on evidence. This distinction between prediction and fortune-telling is crucial.
Fortune-telling rests on claims on supernatural insight through mystical intuition, sacred objects, or occult practices. Prediction, by contrast, relies on observable evidence and reasoned analysis.
In football, analysts evaluate team performance using statistics, player quality, tactical systems, injury reports, historical records, physical condition, and mathematical probability. Such analysis represents an intellectual effort rather than a claim to supernatural knowledge.
Even so, Muslims should remember that every prediction remains a probability and not a certainty.
Allah says:
وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“You cannot will anything unless Allah, the Lord of all worlds, wills it.” (QS. at-Takwir [81]: 29)
He also says:
وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ
“With Him are the keys of the unseen, none knows them except Him.” (QS. al-An’am [6]: 59)
Therefore, analysts may reasonably predict that Brazil, Argentina, Spain, or another nation has the strongest chance of winning the World Cup. Statistical models and artificial intelligence can estimate probabilities with remarkable sophistication. These methods fall within the legitimate use of human knowledge and scientific inquiry.
Nevertheless, no model can guarantee the outcome. Unexpected injuries, tactical changes, moments of brilliance, or countless other factors can overturn even the strongest projections. Above every calculation stands Allah’s decree.
Ultimately, Muslims should distinguish carefully between evidence-based prediction and superstitious fortune-telling. The first represents the responsible use of reason and knowledge. The second claims access to the unseen—a domain reserved solely for Allah.
Enjoying football, discussing title contenders, and analyzing teams are all perfectly permissible. What should be avoided is allowing entertainment to foster beliefs that compromise the purity of tawhid. A believer is encouraged to employ reason in making judgments while placing ultimate trust in Allah, for He alone knows with certainty what tomorrow will bring.
Reference:
Ruslan Fariadi, “Digitalisasi Perdukunan: Mengemas Kemusyrikan dengan Kecanggihan Teknologi”, Jurnal Tarjih, Vol. 11 (1), 2013.
