He's Got the Jersey, the Shades, and a Bike Basket: A Dog Is the World Cup's Breakout Star
· Yahoo Sports
The World Cup: football, fans, and furry friends? Meet Osito, an 8-year-old rescue poodle mix, who's become one of Mexico City’s most unexpected celebrities. He first arrived near Mexico’s opening match perched on the back of a cargo bicycle and came dressed in a Mexico jersey, sunglasses, and a cap. Now everyone is obsessed with him.
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Osito belongs to Jorge Rangel, a 50-year-old local deliveryman who already spends most of his days riding through Mexico City with the dog. For the past two years, Osito has gone with Rangel on his delivery rounds for household products. So, the World Cup didn’t really create the routine, but it did give the routine a much bigger audience.
Fans heading toward the stadium stopped to take photos, pet Osito, and share videos of him online, according to the Associated Press. Within hours, the bicycle-riding dog was showing up on international broadcasts and across social media. Now just about everyone knows the little guy.
Rangel said the attention has been bigger than he expected, but Osito’s popularity isn’t just about the outfit because Osito is a good dog (as they all are). The dog loves to sit in a special compartment on the bicycle and greets strangers as they come over. Naturally, that makes him very hard to ignore in a crowd already looking for something to cheer about.
How Osito Became Mexico City’s Other Main World Cup Attraction
The bike setup started long before the World Cup crowds showed up. Rangel first placed Osito in a delivery box attached to his bicycle and took him on a short ride. Osito seemed to enjoy it, so Rangel added cushions, adjusted the setup, and slowly started taking him on longer trips.
Before long, the two had become a familiar sight around the city. Children loved to greet Osito, strangers asked for photos, and some people even thought he was a stuffed animal because he sat so still. And soon enough he was being taken from point A to point B like a tiny Pope.
Why Fans Have Been So Taken With Osito
Rangel is a devoted soccer fan, so he prepared Osito for the tournament in the best way possible. He gathered accessories, adapted sunglasses to fit the dog, dressed him in a Mexico national team jersey, and decorated the bicycle. The result was a rolling photo op that people love.
However, the bond between Rangel and Osito is the real reason the story works. Rangel adopted Osito during a difficult point in his life and said the dog has become his daily companion. The World Cup may have made Osito famous for the jersey and sunglasses, but people seem to be stopping because it’s also just a very sweet man-and-dog story on wheels.
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