The England football team is known as the Three Lions – a nickname taken from their emblem.

And while the big cats adorn the player’s uniforms, the players themselves have adopted a smaller one as the team’s unofficial mascot.

England stars John Stones and Kyle Walker have gone so far as to commit to taking Dave the Cat back home with them should they go all the way and win the World Cup.

Dave wandered into the team’s training base at the start of the tournament, and he has become an icon for the team and their fans.

“The first day we got there, we got like little table around the corner, the next minute Dave pops up,” Stones said on England’s Instagram page.

“Now every night he’s sat there waiting for his food. But the other day he actually didn’t eat all of his food, we were a bit annoyed at him, think he’s getting a bit greedy.”

The team has gone so far as to call him their “lucky charm”.

When he was involved in a fight with another moggie, the team helped treat injuries to his leg.

“He had a little scrap with another cat the other night. I think they are fighting over territory and the food. But he’s doing well,” Walker said at a press conference.

“Hopefully I can stick to my promise that he will come home with us if we were to win the World Cup. Dave’s fine, thank you for asking.”

There are reportedly some three million stray cats in Qatar.

Earlier this week, Brazil’s press officer made headlines when he threw a stray tabby onto the floor during a press conference.

The official was sitting next to Vinicius Jr when the cat jumped onto the table.

He picked it up and threw it onto the floor.