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The invertebrate will retire after prediciting all of Germany’s World Cup results correctly as well as the final between Spain and Holland.

The news will come as a shock to many people who have won up to half a million pounds between them during the tournament by placing bets based on the octopus’s predictions, according to bookmakers William Hill.

“He is retiring and says thank you to the whole world. It was a great World Cup,� Tanja Munzig, a spokeswoman for the Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen, said.

“He will what he likes to do best: play with his handlers and delight children who come visit to him.�

However, Paul made one final appearance on Monday when aquarium employees presented the octopus with a golden cup.

Although the cup was garnished with mussels, Paul ignored it as it was lowered into his tank.

Paul has become a global sensation as he called all of Germany’s games correctly, including its semi-final defeat by Spain. He finished his career at the peak of his game by forecasting correctly that Spain would beat Holland in Sunday’s final.

The octopus had a 100 per cent for this tournament and only has one blemish on its record when he wrongly predicted Germany would beat Spain in the Euro 2008 final.

But just as Paul has announced his retirement from predicting football matches it looks like the eight legged wonder could be enticed into a marketing career.

Spanish businessmen are planning to take the octopus to Spain and rename him Paulo, using him as a mascot at a major food event.

A string of bookmakers from around the world have also expressed an interest to buy the octopus from the Ouberhausen Sea Life Centre, with marketing experts predicting he could become a big hit with advertisers