There’s still quite a bit to go until the curtains are raised on another season of club Football, which will then be followed up with the Qatar World Cup. While there’s plenty on the horizon for football fans to look forward to, currently, there’s not much entertainment on offer. 

The UEFA Nations League has proved to be mundane, with even players criticising the tournament, and the prospect of national friendlies never really excited anyone anyway. 

So with seemingly little in terms of footy action, fans online turn to the unconventional, all in search of a topic of discussion. 

Transfer rumours, player comparisons, excessive ‘meme-ing’, all these have become staples of pre-season Football Twitter. And unfortunately, this period provides some truly bonkers content. 

A relevant example, which recently went viral on Twitter, is enough of a showcase for just how bizarre it can get. 

The image displays your standard cat, except something’s off with this feline.

As a result of a grooming session gone wrong, or perhaps an ingenious one gone right, the cat’s fur evidently bears a strong resemblance to Real Madrid frontman Karim Benzema. 

Through careful snipping, the brown fur has been modelled to match Benzema’s half-BuzzCut, and even the full-grown beard down below.  The bushy eyebrows at the centre complete the look, making the cat a Benzema superfan. 

Fans certainly didn’t expect to pop open the ‘ol’ bird app’ and see the Frenchman etched on a house pet, but here we are. Football Twitter never ceases to amaze, for better or worse.