The World Cup came to a dramatic end with France beating Croatia 4-2 in one of the most exciting 90 minutes a world cup has ever seen. Croatia didn't lose for a lack of trying: they gave it their all, and were in the game for a large portion of it - it was only after a few decisions went against them that France managed to pull away with the game.
It was further evidence to Russia's case of hosting one of the best World Cups ever, and few can argue against it.
Over in England, it was a particularly special World Cup. It marked the first time in 30 years their team had reached further than the quarter-final. Reaching the semi-final, they had lost to now runners-up Croatia in a dramatic game that left the country devastated but ultimately proud.
Some fans, however - the ones you probably saw on social media throwing beer in the air and jumping through bus shelters were pissed. Like, blood-thirsty, fire-spitting anger pissed. Much of their vitriol was directed at a pig named Marcus.
Mystic Marcus is an eight-year-old micro pig who had, heretofore, successfully predicted the outcome of many important world events, from Brexit to the 2016 American presidential election. On the eve of the semi-final match popular UK morning show This Morning hosted a segment where Mystic Marcus predicted that England would win that evening’s match against Croatia.
Marcus makes his predictions by slowly ambling toward a group of apples marked with flags of the teams’ countries skewered into them. On the segment pre the match, he made a beeline for the England apples, making his prediction seem pretty dang certain. But as soon as the ref’s final whistle blew and England finished down a goal, death threats for Marcus started rolling in.
Phillip Schofield, one of the hosts of This Morning, tweeted, “Can I smell bacon?” The show’s Twitter account also posted an ominous tweet featuring a picture of a bacon sandwich with the words, “We’ll just leave this here… #ENGCRO #CROvENG #SorryMarcus”
The show’s hosts weren’t the only ones out for Marcus’ blood. Countless other disenchanted fans took to Twitter to express their grief for their team and their rage for their trusted fortune teller. Many demands for Marcus to be turned into sausage were made.
@nath_ward tweeted: "I hope that psychic pig that predicted England to win has been murdered chopped up and is inbetween two thick slices of warburtons, breakfast is served mystic f**king marcus"
We’re hoping that Marcus’s performance doesn’t land him in the same situation as Rabio the Octopus, another psychic animal that the world’s sports fans loved to hang their dreams on who also recently met a grisly fate (although, admittedly, not because he pissed off Japanese soccer fans).
England will have another shot at bringing it home at 2022's World Cup, and maybe Marcus will get it right next time - if he's not in someone's belly before then. Maybe don't put your faith in a ruminant animal that happens to really like apples.
