Japan's 'psychic octopus' was killed, sold before last-16 defeat to Belgium

Japan's World Cup campaign finally ran out of legs on Monday. Now, it has emerged the country may have scored something of an own-goal before its first knockout game even kicked off.

Despite correctly predicting all three of the Samurai Blue's group-stage results - a win over Colombia, a draw with Senegal, and a defeat to Poland - Rabiot, the captured giant Pacific octopus reputed to have psychic powers, was killed and sold as meat before the team played Belgium, reports the Telegraph's Julian Ryall.

Fisherman Kimio Abe, who caught Rabiot, brought in a replacement octopus - seriously - before the clash with the Red Devils. "I hope the second Rabiot will also predict all the outcomes correctly and that Japan will go all the way," he said.

Although the prediction his replacement inked before the game is not yet known, it seems Rabiot may have been Japan's lucky mascot.

All seemed to be going according to plan as Akira Nishino's side took a 2-0 lead early in the second half, before Belgium rallied with a remarkable comeback, capped by a stunning counter-attacking winner in the dying seconds.

Now, despite Japan showing it was well-armed to succeed, its World Cup campaign is dead in the water. Sorry, Rab.