England’s footballers may have lost out on the FIFA World Cup but they’re leaving Qatar with something way more valuable than a trophy: Dave the cat, whose friendship was the real win this football season.
Kyle Walker and John Stones were defenders for the English soccer team which lost to France 2-1 on Saturday. But they’re not leaving the Cup empty handed.
The two footballers befriended a stray cat during their four weeks in Qatar, who Stones affectionately called Dave. The pair said they’d bring the moggy back to England with them they won — but it looks like Dave’s charm was too strong, because now he’s been adopted regardless of their loss.
“He’s going back with the team. They’re still undecided as who’s having him but he’s going back,” a woman who was taking Dave to a local vet told reporters on Sunday.
Football may not be coming home but Dave the Cat is. England’s adopted mascot has begun his journey to the UK this afternoon @PA pic.twitter.com/09rQQuCIKP
— Rich McCarthy (@VJRichMcCarthy) December 11, 2022
“He was just there one day so we’ve just adopted him, me and Stonesy,” Walker told the FA during England’s World Cup campaign.
Stones added that the “first day we got there… Dave pops out”. He said the cat would sit in the same place every evening waiting for food and the two just sort of accepted him into their group.
“Dave is welcome to the table … Some people really don’t like the cat, but I love him,” Walker added.
Honestly, that is extreme cat parent energy. Do you really have a cat if you don’t adore your little goblin while everyone else is repulsed by him?
It gets even more wholesome though.
Walker also told the press that Dave got into a nasty fight with another street cat but assured reporters that “Dave’s fine, thank you for asking.”
The cat dad energy is SO strong.
Not everyone is impressed with the team’s adoption of Dave though, especially because the cat has to endure four months of quarantine before he can live in England. Which is obvs going to be a nightmare for a stray that has only known the freedom of Qatari streets his whole life.
“We’re sure he wants to come, are we?” BBC journalist Jackie Leonard responded to a Twitter video of the cat yowling from its cage.
“We went to Qatar, we robbed a cat,” another person wrote.
Yikes.
Look, all I know is if I was a street cat that was given the rags to riches opportunity of a lifetime, I probably wouldn’t be mad about it. Let’s just hope he’s spoiled and pampered in quarantine so it’s not too much of a shock for him.
