(CNN) -- In sport, major tournaments frequently create legends, turning figures who were previously unknowns into global heroes.
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa proved no different, though the superstar in question was not in Spain's victorious 23-man squad; in fact he didn't even play on the hallowed turf of Soccer City.
"Paul the Octopus", from his home at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in west Germany, became a phenomenon during the soccer tournament with his seemingly pscyhic ability to predict the outcome of matches, and on Tuesday the famous cephalopod died of natural causes.
The eight-legged sea creature captured the world's imagination when -- by selecting food from boxes representing either team in question -- Paul correctly predicted not just the outcome of his native Germany's matches but also the overall winner.
It began with his pick that Germany would beat Australia, a match in which the Germans were strong favorites. His second selection was far more controversial, predicting Serbia to defeat Joachim Loew's team, which they duly did.
Tomado de CNN:
The life and times of Paul the Octopus - CNN.com
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa proved no different, though the superstar in question was not in Spain's victorious 23-man squad; in fact he didn't even play on the hallowed turf of Soccer City.
"Paul the Octopus", from his home at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre in west Germany, became a phenomenon during the soccer tournament with his seemingly pscyhic ability to predict the outcome of matches, and on Tuesday the famous cephalopod died of natural causes.
The eight-legged sea creature captured the world's imagination when -- by selecting food from boxes representing either team in question -- Paul correctly predicted not just the outcome of his native Germany's matches but also the overall winner.
It began with his pick that Germany would beat Australia, a match in which the Germans were strong favorites. His second selection was far more controversial, predicting Serbia to defeat Joachim Loew's team, which they duly did.
Tomado de CNN:
The life and times of Paul the Octopus - CNN.com