Good dog interrupts international soccer game, demands belly rubs from players

Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 28, 2022. It has since been updated.

A soccer match between Chile and Venezuela's national women's team halted for the best reason possible—a puppy ran onto the pitch and demanded belly rubs from the players. The adorable pup won the hearts of the players and the fans in the stadium as they cheered it on. The match was held at La Granja stadium in Curicó in Chile when the black puppy made a cameo appearance in the 36th minute. The dog ran straight for the Chilean goalkeeper and rolled onto its back, demanding belly rubs. The goalie gladly obliged as the pup rolled around excitedly. The referee brought the match to a halt and then tried to engage the puppy with some belly rubs to get it off the field, reported HuffPost.

As a Chilean player tried to pick up the black puppy to usher it out of the pitch, a steward joined her in the hope of getting the dog to run to the touchline, but it wasn't having any of it and made a dash toward the center of the field. Another player by the halfway line opened her arms, inviting the puppy to run to her, but the dog was too wise for that and made a sideways dash as the fans roared in approval. The excited puppy was enjoying itself as it stretched its legs and ran around the vast green pitch before heading out of the field. The puppy then ran back on again and lay down, demanding belly rubs in front of another Chile player, who then lifted it up and handed it over to a steward who carried the dog off the field to a loud cheer.

When a dog found the stolen World Cup

Soccer history buffs knew the importance of a dog played in the game. A mixed-breed collie called Pickles wrote its name into football history after helping find the World Cup that had been stolen, reported by BBC. The iconic Jules Rimet trophy went missing just four months before England hosted the World Cup in 1966. The trophy was kept on display and amateurish security arrangements saw the cup being stolen. "We think two people broke in through an emergency exit, took the trophy and walked out again," said Doctor Martin Atherton, author of the book "The Theft of the Jules Rimet Trophy." The authorities received a ransom note demanding £15,000. Police pretended to agree to the deal and arrested Edward Betchley, a former soldier, but the trophy wasn't on him and was still missing.

A man named Dave Corbett was taking his dog for a walk and Pickles started barking ferociously at a car. Corbett noticed a package lying there. "I tore a bit off the bottom and there was a blank shield, then there were the words Brazil, West Germany, and Uruguay printed," he recalled. "I'd seen the pictures of the World Cup in the papers and on TV, so my heart started thumping." He handed it over at a nearby police station, but they refused to believe him. "I slammed it on the desk in front of the sergeant and said 'I think I have found the World Cup.' "I remember his words: 'Doesn't look very World Cuppy to me, son.' Authorities later confirmed that it was indeed the World Cup. It was the moment when Corbett and Pickles became overnight celebrities.