Did The Simpsons Predict World Cup Star’s Injury?

If you weren’t aware, today is the first of two semi-final World Cup matches, and you know what that means: soccer will finally be over soon!

In today’s match, Germany will take on Brazil, a team currently missing its star player, Neymar, who sustained a fractured vertebrate in the quarter final against Colombia last Friday. (Look at that! A real injury in soccer! Usually it’s just a field full of actors athletes trying to do their best impressions of Peter Griffin busting his knee.) Given that Neymar has scored four of Brazil’s eight tournament goals thus far, his injury comes as a shocking twist to the home country’s run at the Cup.

Or is it really that shocking?

Some folks over at Reddit pointed out that the situation unfolding bears a striking resemblance to a Simpsons episode from this past season, entitled “You Don’t Have to Live Like a Referee.” On the show, Homer was bribed to fix the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final in favor of the Brazilians. When their best player, El Divo, went down in a game, Homer decided to spurn the money, be honest, and declare “no penalty,” believing El Divo took a dive. He proudly repeated his ruling even as the player was carried off on a stretcher, and again later at his burial.

Although Neymar is still very much alive, it’s hard to deny the similarities between the two characters & their situations. Both are superstars, they actually kind of look alike, and the images above are eerily similar. Also, Germany happened to be Brazil’s opponent on the show as well. Believe me now?

The real kicker (pun not intended) will be if the real match has the same result as the show’s. Germany won that match 2-0.

Let me know how it turns out; I’ll be watching The Simpsons instead.