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It has been 57 years since Pickles the dog rescued England’s World Cup dream by finding the stolen Jules Rimet Trophy.

The unlikely hero’s discovery came after the trophy had been stolen from a public exhibition just a few months before the 1966 World Cup was due to get underway in England. Pickles’ heroics made him a superstar in the UK and he is not the last pooch to be made famous by football in the years since.

Here, Daily Star Sport looks at the stories of Pickles and six other dogs who have rose to stardom in the world of football.

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Pickles the dog

Despite a middleman being arrested after the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in March 1966, the missing silverware was still yet to be located a week on from the theft.

That was until Pickles stepped up as he sniffed around a neighbour’s car, with his owner David Corbett recalling in 2016: “There was a package by the front wheel. It was very tightly wrapped – the IRA was in action in those days and I thought to myself ‘was it a bomb?’

“So I picked it up. Put it down. Picked it up, put it down again. I tore a little bit off the bottom and saw a shield. I recognised it straight away and thought ‘This is it!'”

Corbett was initially treated as a suspect before being cleared of any wrongdoing once the trophy had been identified as the real thing. As for Pickles, he was presented with a cash prize for finding the treasure and was photographed posing with a football.

Relegation saviour

Back in May 1987, Torquay United found themselves on the brink of relegation from the Football League as they trailed Crewe Alexandra on the final day of the season.

With Torquay’s desperate attempts to find an equaliser to keep them up appearing to be in vain, right-back Jim McNichol was bitten by a police dog who thought he was attacking his handler.

In the time added on for McNichol receiving treatment, Torquay equalised and secured their place in the Fourth Division for the following season.

Fluminense superfan

Brazilians are known for their passionate support and their pets are no different.

One Fluminense fan’s dog recently went viral after being caught on camera watching the club play on television. The excited pooch could be seen wearing the club’s home shirt as it lay at the foot of a bed watching the match.

After Fluminense scored, the dog excitedly jumped in the air before running round in circles in celebration.

Touching tribute

Unlike the other dogs on this list, one footballer’s pet instead rose to fame after tragically passing away last year.

The player emotionally celebrated scoring for their club by ripping off his jersey to reveal a t-shirt baring an image of his recently-deceased dog.

As his team-mates gathered around him, the player then ushered them away so that the cameras at the side of the pitch could get a good view of the photo. Visibly emotional, he also lifted the shirt up to kiss the photo as he gazed to the sky.

P***taking pooch

Not all of football’s famous dogs have made their mark by saving the day, with one pooch doing the opposite last summer.

A non-league friendly between Yorkshire clubs Ilkley Town and Thackley back in July had to be paused after a dog bounded onto the pitch to relieve themselves during the match.

The dog ran around the pitch before heading to the corner flag to take a “p***”, much to the amusement of the players and those watching on the sidelines.

World Cup guard dog

After his penalty shootout antics helped Argentina win a third World Cup in December, Emiliano Martinez was quick to ensure his winners medal would be well-protected.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper forked out £20,000 on a Belgian Malinois guard dog to protect his medal after returning to the Midlands following the tournament.

Belgian Malinois’ can weigh up to 30kgs and have been deployed by the SAS and US Navy Seals in the past, with Martinez having his pet pooch specially trained to guard his home from invaders.

Club mascots

In addition to pet pooches and pitch invaders, football’s famous dogs also include a string of club mascots to have graced stadiums from the Premier League to League Two.

Huddersfield Town’s Terry the Terrier was the subject of controversy in 2018 after being pictured looking glum during a match against Watford, having been told to sit down to avoid obstructing the view of supporters.

Meanwhile, Birmingham City mascot Beau Brummie was involved in a kidnapping scare in 2012, only for it to turn out the mascot was instead taking a break until the club started spending money.

Barnsley, Doncaster Rovers, Newport County and Dagenham & Redbridge also have dogs as their official club mascots.

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Lionel Messi struggled to hold back the tears as he and his Argentina team-mates received an incredible homecoming following their World Cup triumph.

Messi and co. played on home turf for the first time since lifting the trophy on Thursday (March 23), hosting Panama in a friendly. There were special scenes before the match as the 83,000-strong crowd gave them a hero’s welcome at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.

A firework display was held while the teams lined up on the pitch, with the home fans chanting loud enough to have raised the roof – if there was one.

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Their serenading left the whole team on the verge of tears. Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez was visibly emotional and Messi looked particularly choked up.

Once the game got underway, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner was once again the star of the show. He twice hit the woodwork with free-kicks.

And it was a case of third time lucky as he netted one in the 89th minute to secure Argentina a 2-0 victory, with young midfielder Thiago Almada also getting on the scoresheet. It was his 99th international goal and the 800th of his career.

Is Messi your GOAT? Let us know in the comments section.

After the match the celebrations continued, with the players joined by their families. Messi’s wife Antonela and their three sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro were beside him as he lifted the World Cup trophy for a second time.

The whole squad were given their own replica trophies to life in unison with their captain, which resulted in Martinez recreating his infamous Golden Glove pose in Qatar.

As well as doing it with his team-mates, some of the Argentina WAGs also got in on the cheeky action.

Addressing the crowd, Messi said: “I always dreamed of this moment and to celebrate with you. With my country, Argentina.

“I don’t want to forget all the teammates I had before because we also did everything possible to get it. Let’s enjoy the third star.”

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Roy Keane finally enters the action in Daily Star’s World Cup of S***houses as the ex- Manchester United star looks to make it a double.

Keane was our back-to-back winner in our World Cup of Pundits and is among the favourites in the new tournament – though faces some fierce competition from some true s***houses.

You know the type – those that pull, pinch, time waste and use every trick in the book to wind up the opposition and win games. We absolutely love them.

In fact, we love it so much, that we thought a true champion needs to be crowned and came up with our very own World Cup of S***houses. But who wins? You decide…

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We have shortlisted 32 names and split them into four randomly-drawn groups. With Groups A and B now done and dusted, we move on to Group C with the top two progressing to the semi-finals.

You get only one pick, so choose wisely!

Roy Keane

With a s***house legacy that has far surpassed his playing career, Roy Keane is a worthy contender to go the distance in Daily Star’s World Cup of Football S***houses.

From his brutal payback tackle on Alf-Inge Haaland that was years in the making to mocking the voice of Harry Maguire while on Sky Sports punditry back in 2021, Keane never holds his punches.

Now settled into the punditry game after stepping away from management – Premier League players will no doubt hope to avoid his wrath for years to come.

Pepe

Real Madrid icon Pepe has picked up a total of 14 red cards during his playing career – with a 2009 sending off providing a truly memorable meltdown.

The central defender first shoved over Javi Casquero before grabbing his opponent by the head, proceeding to stand on his rival twice for good measure.

Pepe then struck Juan Albin in the face before being handed a 10-match ban in true s***house style. Also known for rattling his opponents, Pepe found the time to slam Morocco’s time-wasting after the World Cup in December.

Diego Godin

Another central defender who would do anything to lead his team to victory Diego Godin was a master of the dark arts during his time under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid .

The Uruguay veteran has never been afraid to tussle with opponents using elbows and shoulders in a bid to assert his physical dominance – and is a master of doing so without the officials seeing.

His ability to find the net from set-pieces only strengthened the fury Godin would bring out of his opponents, with his departure from Europe a big loss to the s***house community.

Jamie Vardy

Jamie Vardy in his pomp would laugh his way through Premier League fixtures on his way to scoring a hugely impressive 134 goals in the competition for Leicester.

Having celebrated against Wolves by doing his best howl and doing a dancing eagle impression after netting against Crystal Palace, Vardy is truly a leading s***house.

The former England man is never happier than when winding up opposition fanbases dating back to his Championship days – and is right among the contenders for Daily Star’s World Cup of Football S***houses.

Robin Friday

The late former Reading and Cardiff City forward Robin Friday left some legacy in the game – despite retiring at the age of 25 and passing away just 13 years later.

Friday was known for unsettling opponents and a rather poor disciplinary record – once booting Mark Lawrenson in the face during a fixture.

As well as his spoiling tactics, Friday was hailed for his footballing intelligence as well as physical and mental strength – and is firmly a cult hero.

Martin Keown

The image of Martin Keown screaming in the face of Ruud van Nistelrooy is quite possibly the most recognisable striker vs defender clash in Premier League history.

Arsenal’s Keown was not only delighted but seemingly delirious after Van Nistelrooy missed a Manchester United spot-kick, getting up close and personal for good measure.

Although additionally known for his crunching tackles with six Premier League red cards, it will be that penalty reaction that has Keown in contention for Daily Star’s World Cup of Football S***houses glory.

Claudio Gentile

A Juventus and Italy icon, Claudio Gentile was an uncompromising defender who made his name as a man-marker who was not shy of aggressive challenges.

Often placed on polls of the hardest players in football history, Gentile was smart enough to limit his red cards to one across his career which no doubt wound up the opposition even more.

Gentile said in 2021: “A defender has to be strong. That’s something very different to being dirty and going in to do harm. A defender is a defender, not a dancer.”

Scott Brown

Scott Brown is synonymous with the Celtic success of the past two decades, leading his side to glory through his leadership as well as physical and mental strength.

Brown loved nothing more than winding up opposition players and fans during his time at Parkhead, notably getting Alfredo Morelos sent off in a 2019 Old Firm derby.

If that fixture needed to sum up his style in ore detail, he casques a mass brawl after scuffling with Ryan Kent, with Celtic of course going on to win.

VOTE HERE NOW!

Voting for Group D of the Daily Star World Cup of S***houses will end on Sunday April 2.

You only get to vote for one player, so choose wisely!

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The Club Benefits Program affords clubs a share of national team competition revenues in return for releasing players and also protects clubs in case their players are injured on international duty.

The previous amount earmarked for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was $209 million. A renewed Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Monday at the ECA General Assembly in Budapest, Hungary.

“We are delighted to have signed this landmark agreement,” ECA Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi said.

“The MoU recognizes the central role of clubs in football globally and ensures that they are properly represented in decision making around issues which affect them.”

Earlier this month, FIFA had announced a 32-team Club World Cup will be played every four years from June 2025, replacing its annual competition which featured seven teams.

The decision was met with opposition from leagues such as Spain’s LaLiga but the MoU will now have both FIFA and the ECA working together on its various sporting and commercial aspects for the 2025 edition.

“FIFA and ECA will also now establish closer working practices on a future new Club World Cup… and working together on future editions including on potential structures for managing the commercial rights going forward.”

FIFA also announced a newly structured international calendar which its president Gianni Infantino said had been endorsed by the ECA.

“To have the new International Match Calendar endorsed by ECA provides the necessary balance between club and national team football,” Infantino said.

“We have exciting projects ahead, including the new FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 and the new FIFA women’s Club World Cup. A close collaboration with clubs in Europe, and the rest of the world, will be essential for the success of those events.”

Vietnam entered the last qualification round of the 2022 World Cup for the first time in history, and aims to win a slot in the 2026 tournament, when the number of participating teams increase from 32 to 48.