England’s strange World Cup mascot will follow the Lions from his permanent home as Dave the cat adjusts to his new surroundings.

While football may not have returned home from Qatar, wildcat Dave did so after the friendly feline became the team’s most beloved character as he roamed freely around England’s Al Wakrah training facility.

Manchester City duo John Stones and Kyle Walker were photographed with Dave most evenings and later said the team would adopt the cat if Gareth Southgate’s men won the World Cup.

Despite their elimination in the quarterfinals at the hands of France, Dave still had a chance to travel to the UK and was eventually brought home by Football Association communications manager Anna Bush and her family.

Bright has been announced fit for England’s match against Haiti after recovering from knee surgery and the defender will lead the Lionesses in their Group D opener.

Now 29, Bright grew up in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, overcoming pneumonia and infant asthma to enjoy a career as a top athlete, although her first love was horseback riding, not football.

England defender Lucy Bronze said the Lions are feeling “empowered” ahead of their World Cup opening match after issuing a statement resolving the players’ ongoing dispute with the Football Association (FA) over bonus payments and other commercial concerns.

In a message from the team posted on social media by captain Millie Bright, the Lions said they were “disappointed that a resolution has yet to be reached” but would “pause discussions, with full intention to reconsider post-tournament”, starting for England on Saturday against Haiti in Brisbane.

Ms Bronze, speaking at the England team’s hotel on Wednesday, was adamant that the decision to go public about the situation was not only motivated by personal financial gain but also by broader principles, while insisting she was “one hundred per cent confident that we will not be distracted by this”.

Saturday saw both the reigning world and European champions begin their campaigns as the United States took on Vietnam and Britain played Haiti.

The USA’s opening game kicks off in Auckland at 2am while England face Haiti at 10:30am.

Group E: USA vs Vietnam (2h, Eden Park, Auckland)

Group C: Zambia vs Japan (8h, Waikato Court, Hamilton)

Group D: England vs Haiti (10:30am, Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane)

Group D: Denmark vs China (13h, Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth)

England boss Sarina Wiegman vows the Lions will do “everything” possible to bring home a first World Cup as they kick off their campaign against Haiti in Brisbane on Saturday.

Wiegman also provided a welcome update on captain Millie Bright, who is fit enough to start the competition tomorrow following concerns that she is still recovering from a knee injury she suffered in March and requires surgery.

The World Cup trophy is the one that has so far eluded both England and Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to the final four years ago in France but lost at the hands of the United States.

He competes in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as a European champion with the Lions eager to compete for glory in Australia and New Zealand.

Sarina Wiegman has seen her team suffer numerous injuries, including captain Leah Williamson, Chelsea star Fran Kirby and Euro Golden Shoe winner Beth Mead, all of whom missed out on the tournament.

But the Lions remain one of the strongest teams in the league, as the third favorite (9/2) behind Spain (4/1) and the US champion and favorite (9/4).

This is the England team that will seek to negotiate first with a group that includes Haiti, Denmark and China before heading for another historic match in the knockout stages of a tournament.

England enter the World Cup as one of the favorites as the Lions look to build on their victory at the European Championships last summer by taking the game’s biggest prize.

England have reached the semi-finals in their last two World Cups in 2015 and 2019 and will dream of going one step further in Australia and New Zealand.

The Lions gained valuable experience winning a major title following a historic home win at the Euros under Sarina Wiegman.

The United States is looking to win the World Cup for the third time in a row but England come to this summer’s tournament as the main contender for their crown.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Switzerland took advantage of the next round after beating the Philippines 2-0 to top Group A.

It was a rough start for the Filipinos on their World Cup debut after Katrina Guillou was ruled out for offside in the 16th minute.

Ramona Bachmann then put Switzerland ahead with a penalty before the break and Seraina Piubel sealed the victory with a 64th-minute strike.

Switzerland are tied on points with co-hosts New Zealand with 3 points and will face Norway next Tuesday.

Missed opportunity for Canada

It was not the start of the tournament Canada had hoped for after being held to a 0-0 draw by Nigeria in Group B.

In a tense collision, veteran Sinclair had a chance to put Canada ahead from the penalty spot, but she was denied a stunning save by Nigeria’s goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.

The Super Eagles sent Deborah Abiodun off the field in the final stages of the game. Nnadozie’s stellar performance earned praise from Nigerian coach Randy Waldrum.

He said: “Chiamaka has done this before and I will say this and I will embarrass her in front of all of you, but I think she is one of the best young goalkeepers in the world right now.”

Spain overwhelming easily won

Spain started their campaign with a simple but controlled 3-0 win over Costa Rica. Valeria del Campo’s own goal was followed by goals from Aitana Bonmati and Esther Gonzalez over the next six minutes.

Jenni Hermoso was also saved a penalty by Daniela Solera before half-time, meaning there has been a penalty awarded in all five league games so far.

The match also marked the return of the Ballon d’Or . double Alexia Putellaswho played the last 13 minutes of the match after her return from an ACL injury.