The 2026 FIFA World Cup came to an anti-climactic end in Rutherford on Sunday with Spain dominating Argentina to end up as 1-0 winners. An extra time volley by Ferran Torres handed La Roja a second star after Enzo Fernandez was sent off for La Albiceleste.
The encounter heralded the closing of curtains on a five-week saga that enraptured the world, football fans and beyond. Media houses from around the world set base in North America to capture the biggest single-sport spectacle the world has to offer, among them the BBC from the UK.
Even though the government-owned media house’s studio was situated back home in Salford, BBC did send a commentary team over to the Americas. Little would they have imagined it would all culminate in making a dead cat go viral.
In BBC’s post-credit sequence to signal the end of the World Cup, there were mostly humans. But there was one exception. Under a position creatively called ‘commentary mascot’ featured Bob the cat, who during the tournament became an internet icon.
The saga began on June 30 when Norway took on Cote d’Ivoire in the first knockout round. The Vikings introduced Fulham winger Oscar Bobb in the second half and was announced for BBC on air by Steve Bower.
It was enough for his co-commentator Danny Murphy to go on a wild tangent, revealing unprompted he used to have a cat named Bob. Bower tried to reel the focus back on the game, but the former England midfielder was not done yet.
“He [Bob] jumped in the back of a Royal Mail van, and we lost him. Sad really,” Murphy unexpectedly said followed by a chuckle.
We're still thinking about Danny Murphy and Bob the Cat.
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 1, 2026
Commentary camera just dropped. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/pGVRHtz9vJ
The game and commentary moved on thereafter, but social media did not. All the hubbub meant Murphy was bound to react to the saga when he next had commentary duties, in the Spain-Austria Round of 32 fixture.
While Mikal Oyarzabal’s brace led the eventual champions to a 3-0 triumph, Murphy awed audiences with another twist in the plot. The 49-year-old revealed Bob the cat had in fact returned home after eloping in a van, but could no longer be domesticated with them.
“Unfortunately he had gone feral and we couldn’t re-integrate him into the home, and he ended up living with my friend’s parents in Preston,” Murphy stated.
Murphy also confirmed the story was a relic of the distant past, as was Bob the cat.
“That was the life he had and now he has passed away, unfortunately, many years ago. Thanks for all the concern, those who have been messaging us.”
The fans were still not satisfied by the lore. Demands for a final chapter on Bob the Cat to round off the saga grew online, and Murphy delivered during Spain’s next match against Portugal in the Round of 16.
Awaiting the deadlock to be broken, Murphy this time came prepared. The former Liverpool man first addressed why he had no option but to let the cat go.
“We did try and settle Bob back into the house, but he started bullying and fighting his sister, Mary,” Murphy explained.
However, it was merely the set-up for a punny punchline Murphy had locked and loaded the whole time.
“We made the decision to give him the red card and send him up the road to Preston. I think it was the right decision,” Murphy chuckled.
With such recurring appearances in BBC’s commentary and the heartwarming story to boot, no wonder Bob the cat found a mention in their post-credit comments. The feline would not have imagined anything such in its wildest dreams.
