The stolen trophy and the dog that saved the World Cup: the story of Pickles
In 1966 the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in London weeks before the World Cup and found by a dog named Pickles. In 1983 it was stolen again — this time for good.
The story sounds like a film. On 20 March 1966, months before the England World Cup, the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen while on public display at Central Hall, Westminster, in London. The disappearance of football's greatest symbol was a huge scandal.
A week later, on 27 March, a south London man named David Corbett was walking his dog — a four-year-old collie called Pickles — when the animal sniffed out a package wrapped in newspaper in Upper Norwood. Inside was the trophy. Pickles became a national hero.
England won that World Cup. Years later, in 1970, Brazil claimed their third title and, under the rule set by Jules Rimet, kept the trophy for good.
But the cup had an even darker fate: on 19 December 1983 it was stolen again, this time from the Brazilian Football Confederation headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, and it was never recovered. It is believed to have been melted down, though this has never been confirmed. Only replicas of the original remain.
Source: Wikipedia (Pickles the dog; Jules Rimet Trophy; 1983 theft of the Jules Rimet Trophy). Pictured, the current World Cup trophy.