A cat reputed to have psychic powers has picked the home team, Russia, to beat Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday.

Achilles, who is deaf, selects winners by choosing from two bowls of food marked with flags from the opposing sides.

The white cat, who is part of the team that mouses for St Petersburg's Hermitage Museum, is said to have accurately predicted the winners during the 2017 Confederations Cup.

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