In a Mexican second-tier match between Alebrijes de Oaxaca and Dorados de Sinaloa on Wednesday, a pitch-invading dog created quite a spectacle by snatching the ball and darting around the field.
The dog sprinted onto the pitch and insisted on having the ball from Sinaloa goalkeeper Hernan Mendoza, who reluctantly relinquished it when the referee halted the game for stewards to intervene and guide the dog away.
However, as a steward approached the dog with a leash, the furry intruder managed to firmly grip the football in its mouth and proceeded to make its way towards the center circle, skillfully avoiding the ground staff’s attempts to capture it.
In a matter of seconds, the dog turned the 16,000-capacity stadium into its own arena, with “Ole’s” echoing in the stands as multiple ground staff members comically failed in their efforts to apprehend it.
Even players joined the pursuit, but the agile dog retained possession for over a minute, skillfully evading several challenges. Eventually, one player managed to catch it, and the ground staff coaxed the dog off the field using a spare ball.
“Our new best friend is fine and with us in Templo Alebrije after having debuted in @LigaMXExpansion,” Oaxaca said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Our new reinforcement went to undergo his medical tests to be officially loaned in the coming days,” they added.