The Simpsons ALMOST Predicted the World Cup Final

[Black Panther]

The Simpsons almost predicted a match-up for the World Cup final... over 20 years ago. That's right, the long running animated series almost added another notch to the belt of predictions that have come true over the last 29 years. And there have been a lot. Predictions made on The Simpsons have been coming true for years, some more shocking and mind-blowing than others. Yet, no matter how big and small, each carries its own sense of mystery and wonderment - how do they do it? One such prediction was the recent (in-progress) acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney.

Premiering in 1998, an episode titled "When You Wish Upon A Star" featured an image of the 20th Century Fox logo, underneath claiming to be a division of The Walt Disney Company. It was revealed to have come true in December 2017 when Disney announced a deal to purchase 21st Century Fox's movie and TV assets, months later solidifying it by winning approval and beating out Comcast for the deal in a brief bidding war. While this is the most recent, it is not the only one. Other predictions made by The Simpsons that have come to fruition include: President Trump, The United States Olympic Curling Team, auto-correct and the iPhone, smart watches and even mutated tomatoes. The list goes on and on. And now, they can add another prediction to their list.

Digital Spy reports that The Simpsons were very close to adding to this series of predictions. In season 9, an episode titled "The Cartridge Family" predicted a soccer match-up between Portugal and Mexico (albeit as part of a "Continental Soccer Association" event, rather than FIFA's World Cup). Flash forward to present day, Portugal finished second to Spain, landing them in position to face-off against Mexico in a final showdown - that is, if Mexico had beaten Sweden within their group. Unfortunately, fans of the series and their uncanny ability of foresight will have to wait for the next prediction. Mexico lost to Sweden, putting them in place to only face-off against Portugal in the semi-finals, not the finals.

While many attribute the accuracy of The Simpson's predictions to the number of years it has been on, as they would have gotten something right eventually, others see something potentially deeper. The writers of the show are some of the brightest and smartest writers out there, and these writers may be more attune of the direction our world is heading in, possibly compounding this by having first hand knowledge of potential products of the future. Still, another reason could be as simple as the power of suggestion.

No matter the reason, and with this latest close-call, fans are sure to be keeping even closer tabs on episodes new and old, hoping to catch the predictions when they do come true. With no end in sight for the popular animated series, the possibilities are endless for The Simpsons.