The World Cup trophy was stolen twice — and one time it was found by a dog

The original World Cup trophy, called the Jules Rimet Trophy, had one of the wildest backstories in sports history. During World War II, FIFA vice-president Ottorino Barassi secretly hid it in a shoe box under his bed to keep it from being seized by occupying forces. It survived the war — but its adventures were far from over.

In 1966, just months before England hosted the tournament, the trophy was stolen from a public exhibition in London. Scotland Yard launched a massive investigation, but it was a dog named Pickles who saved the day — sniffing out the trophy wrapped in newspaper under a garden hedge. Pickles became a national hero and was even invited to the celebration banquet after England won the tournament.

Brazil won the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently in 1970 after their third title, as the rules stated. Sadly, it was stolen again in 1983 from the Brazilian Football Confederation's headquarters in Rio de Janeiro — and this time, it was never recovered. It's widely believed the solid gold trophy was melted down. The current FIFA World Cup Trophy, introduced in 1974, is made of 18-karat gold and unlike its predecessor, no country gets to keep it permanently. Winners now receive a gold-plated replica instead.