The FIFA World Cup official mascots are a series of characters representing each FIFA World Cup event. The trend began with Willie in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, one of the first mascots to be associated with a major sporting competition. The mascot designs represent a characteristic or symbol of the host country, such as flora, fauna, or costume. The design is frequently one or more anthropomorphic characters targeted at children and coinciding with cartoon shows and merchandise. The FIFA Women's World Cup events have had official mascots since the 1991 event in China.
Men's World Cup
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Event
!Host<br/>country
!Mascot name
!Description
!
|-
|align=center| 1966
|England
|Willie
|An anthropomorphic lion, a typical symbol of the United Kingdom, wearing a Union Jack jersey with the words "WORLD CUP". Designed by freelance children's book illustrator Reg Hoye.
|
|-
|align=center| 1970
|Mexico
|Juanito
|A boy wearing Mexico's kit and a sombrero (with the words "MEXICO 70"). His name is the diminutive of "Juan", a common name in Spanish.
|
|-
|align=center| 2002
|South Korea<br/>Japan
|Ato, Kaz and Nik
|Orange, purple, and blue (respectively) futuristic, computer-generated creatures. Collectively members of a team of "Atmosball" (a fictional football-like sport), Ato is the coach while Kaz and Nik are players. The three individual names were selected from shortlists by users on the Internet and at McDonald's outlets in the host countries.
|
|-
|align=center| 2014
|Brazil
|Fuleco
|An anthropomorphic Brazilian three-banded armadillo wearing a white T-shirt reading "Brasil 2014" and green Bermuda shorts. He has a blue carapace which is patterned after a traditional football. The selection of Fuleco brings attention to the country's great biodiversity, as the Brazilian three-banded armadillo is endemic to Brazil and is classified as a vulnerable species. The name Fuleco is a portmanteau of the words "futebol" ("football") and "ecologia" ("ecology").
|
|-
|align=center| 2018
|Russia
|Zabivaka
|An anthropomorphic wolf with a name that translates from Russian as The Goalscorer. Zabivaka wears red shorts and a blue and white T-shirt emblazoned with the words "Russia 2018". The color combination is that of the Russian team, with the mascot being selected via internet voting.
|
|-
|align=center| 2026
|Canada<br/>Mexico<br>United States
|Maple, Zayu and Clutch
|Maple, an anthropomorphic Canadian moose, appears in red and represents creativity and resilience. He is a goalkeeper and draws inspiration from the maple leaf, Canada's national symbol. Zayu, an anthropomorphic Mexican jaguar, wears the traditional green and acts as a forward. Inspired by the importance of the animal to ancient civilizations, it symbolizes strength, agility, and cultural pride. Clutch, an anthropomorphic American bald eagle, wears the blue uniform of the American team and symbolizes courage, leadership, and unity, acting as a midfielder.
|
|}
Women's World Cup
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Event
!Host <br />country
!Mascot name
!Description
!
|-
|align=center| 1991
|China
|Ling Ling
|A bird-like mascot of an unspecified species.
|
|-
|align=center| 1995
|Sweden
|Fiffi
|A Viking girl.
|
|-
|align=center| 1999
|United States
|Nutmeg
|An anthropomorphic red fox.
|
|-
|align=center| 2011
|Germany
|Karla Kick
|An anthropomorphic cat.
|
|-
|align=center| 2015
|Canada
|Shuéme
|An anthropomorphic snowy owl; her name derives from , French for "owl".
|
|-
|align=center| 2019
|France
|Ettie
|An anthropomorphic chicken; she is the daughter of Footix, the 1998 World Cup mascot.
|
|-
|align=center| 2027
|Brazil
|TBA
|TBA
|
|}
See also
- List of mascots
- List of UEFA European Championship official mascots
- List of Copa América official mascots
- List of Africa Cup of Nations official mascots
- List of AFC Asian Cup official mascots
References
External links
- Information on Goleo VI and Pille
- Official FIFA web page on Zakumi