Image of Barcelona star Gavi goes viral with new ‘Cat’ mascot

Barcelona marked their 125th anniversary with a grand celebration on Friday night at the Liceu Theatre in the city. The event was graced by club legends, current players, and the unveiling of Barcelona’s first-ever permanent mascot, “Cat the Culer.”

The vibrant yellow cat, inspired by the club’s colors and emblem, replaces a temporary mascot introduced for their centenary celebrations. The mascot shared the spotlight on stage with rising stars Lamine Yamal and Gavi, creating a moment of humor that delighted players like Raphinha and Pau Cubarsi. Raphinha, in particular, couldn’t resist capturing the scene on his phone.

“Rapha recorded the moment where Gavi and Lamine go up with the pet, how they are going to laugh LOL”
— Anto🦋 (@_simplyanto)

“F*cking Raphinha recording Lamine and Gavi 😭😭😭😭”
— Marc 🐆 (@ankaramapi)

One of the night’s funniest highlights was Gavi’s startled reaction when the mascot approached the stage. His expression, as he seemingly recoiled in mock terror, quickly became a viral moment online.

“Lloro with Gavi 😂”
— Hand (@GxlDePaulinho)

The mascot’s weekend debut at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys wasn’t as cheerful, coinciding with Barcelona’s disappointing 2-1 loss to Las Palmas on Saturday. It remains to be seen if “Cat the Culer” will become a lucky charm or simply a source of entertainment for fans and players alike.

Meanwhile, ahead of their next match, head coach Flick held discussions with the team captains, emphasizing the need to regroup and bounce back strong.

“Before training, Flick spoke with the team and then took a moment with those who hold the captaincy given the importance of reacting in tomorrow’s match.”
— Barcacentre (@barcacentre)