{"id":8171,"date":"2026-06-12T19:02:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T01:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enteratelatino.org\/?p=8171"},"modified":"2026-06-12T19:02:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T01:02:43","slug":"the-mascots-that-have-brought-the-world-cups-to-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enteratelatino.org\/index.php\/2026\/06\/12\/the-mascots-that-have-brought-the-world-cups-to-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The mascots that have brought the World Cups to life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo: From left to right, Maple (Canada), Zayu (Mexico) and Clutch (United States), the three mascots of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. EFE\/EPA\/WILL OLIVER<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A World Cup would be incomplete without its mascot, a symbol that goes far beyond a simple drawing. They represent the entire tournament and bear the responsibility of being the face of a celebration that unites sport with cultural identity and the brotherhood between countries, whether through an animal, a human, or a cutting-edge design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With three host countries this year, each needs its own mascot, and all of them represent the popular culture of their respective host. One of the basic requirements for creating a mascot is an animal or character that instantly captures the country’s identity and conveys an image of hospitality and camaraderie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lion, an orange, or even a Cubist figure can be the perfect symbol for each country if it’s adapted to its customs and identity. The 1966 World Cup in the United Kingdom was the first to implement this initiative, and since then, all host countries have showcased their creativity to match the previous one\u2014a tradition that celebrates its 60th anniversary at this World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maple, Zayu and Clutch – Canada, Mexico and the United States (2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 World Cup features not one, but three animals that will welcome everyone to this unprecedented tournament in terms of the number of host cities, and which must represent the identity of all of North America. That is why the chosen animals are Maple, a moose from Canada; Zayu, a jaguar from Mexico; and Clutch, an eagle from the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were all presented in September 2025 and are specimens that can be found in the natural areas of the three host countries, each with a different personality and in keeping with its inhabitants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to FIFA, Maple the elk represents Canadian urban culture, creativity, and individualism; Zayu the jaguar is a striker who represents Mexican agility and speed, as well as being the typical animal of the jungles of the south of the country; and Clutch the eagle is a midfielder capable of uniting different traditions with his boundless spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time, FIFA had to unite three different cultures in three mascots that could harmonize with the brand image of this tournament. FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that \u201cthese three mascots are fundamental to the incredible and entertaining atmosphere we are creating for this game-changing tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willie – United Kingdom (1966).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willie is the first mascot in the history of the World Cup, a custom that originated in the United Kingdom 60 years ago and has become a tradition that continues to this day and is essential in sports merchandising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This mascot represents a lion, a symbol found on England’s national crest. He wears a shirt with the British flag, or ‘Union Jack,’ and was created by the cartoonist Regional Hoye, commissioned by the Football Association. The result was a success, and more than 100 companies began manufacturing Willie merchandise: shirts, keychains, mugs, stickers, and more. He even had his own comic book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willie the lion was a symbol of pride for the whole country and set the standard for the type of mascot that never fails and that was repeated in almost all subsequent World Cups: an animal related to the history of the country, clothing related to its flag and typical colors, and a friendly and endearing appearance, almost like a children’s series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naranjito – Spain (1982).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image of Naranjito, the mascot of the 1982 Spain World Cup, at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Qatar World Cup at Al Bait Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar. EFE\/Esteban Biba<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the mascots that has endured the longest in the collective and nostalgic memory, not only of football. Of all the symbols that could represent the country, Mar\u00eda Dolores Salto and Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Mart\u00edn Pacheco, graphic designers in charge of creating this figure, opted for an orange to avoid the clich\u00e9s of the bull or the flamenco dancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the news portal PuroMarketing, Naranjito was a true revolution in the world of advertising, both nationally and internationally. It stood out for its friendly appearance, striking color, and adaptable shape, suitable for any merchandising format. It even appeared on television screens in the RTVE series ‘F\u00fatbol en Acci\u00f3n’ in 1982.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This endearing mascot managed to become a global phenomenon. The Spanish Association of Toy Manufacturers reports that over 10 million toys were sold in Spain alone, and more than 20 million worldwide\u2014a phenomenon that completely transformed sports marketing more than 15 years after Willie’s creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pique – Mexico (1986).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the Spanish innovation, the second World Cup held in Mexico chose another typical Mexican food as its mascot: an anthropomorphic jalape\u00f1o pepper with a mustache and a charro hat. This friendly mascot differed considerably from the one chosen for the previous tournament in 1970\u2014a boy named Juanito\u2014in an attempt to replicate the success of Naranjito, which had been so successful four years earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This new mascot enjoyed similar success to Naranjito and became another sports marketing hit thanks to its colorful, charismatic, and cartoonish image. Even so, it wasn’t without its critics, as some felt it was inappropriate to rely so heavily on national stereotypes to represent the country at a World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hello – Italy (1990).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And just as many mascots like Willie or Naranjito manage to triumph and leave their mark on an entire tournament, others fail to live up to expectations due to a lack of charisma. This is what happened to Ciao, the mascot of the 1990 World Cup in Italy, a version that aimed to go beyond what had been seen up to that point and reject the image of animals, fruits, or children in favor of a much more avant-garde one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ciao was an anthropomorphic figure made of cubes representing the colors of the Italian flag, with a soccer ball for a head. The idea, besides being risky and innovative, failed to resonate with the public in the same way as in previous editions, precisely because of its coldness and its initial lack of intuitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The designer who created this mascot was Lucio Boscardin, who wanted to move away from the conventional by creating a kind of puppet that was very different from the customs of the host country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Italian society did not accept the change very well, especially because of the wide variety of cultural symbols of the country that could have been used, but were not taken into account in favor of a very futuristic image, perhaps inspired by the famous sculpture by the artist Umberto Boccioni called ‘Unique Forms of Continuity in Space’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ato, Kaz and Nik – South Korea and Japan (2002)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2002 World Cup was the first in history to be held in two countries simultaneously: South Korea and Japan. The first tournament of the millennium embraced this innovation in terms of the number of host countries and was the first to travel to Asia, specifically to two countries that were already making their mark in technology, commerce, and modernity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada is not the first to have three mascots in one, although it is the first to have three venues, since the 2002 edition wanted to make a difference with the Spheriks, the name given to the three designs, thanks to a television series that was created based on the characters, and which was based on the avant-garde and abstract style that Italy had started in 1990.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ato, Kaz, and Nik were three aliens\u2014one yellow, one blue, and one purple\u2014representing a referee (Ato) and two players (Kaz and Nik). They are recognized as the first mascots created entirely digitally and in 3D, which allowed them to appear on websites and in video games during the tournament’s promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zakumi – South Africa (2010)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first World Cup held on the African continent couldn’t overlook choosing a symbol that faithfully represented its culture and fauna. Zakumi is a friendly leopard with green fur that he uses to camouflage himself on the field, and perhaps one of the mascots that has endured the longest in the collective imagination thanks to its fresh and friendly design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zakumi’s main colors, yellow and green, are those used in the country’s sportswear and, in addition, he had the novelty of not using the national football team’s jersey, but a simpler white one with the phrase ‘South Africa 2010’, so as not to detract from the character’s colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the presentation of the mascot in September 2008, the then FIFA Secretary General, J\u00e9r\u00f4me Valcke, declared that \u201cZakumi represents the South African people, geography and spirit and embodies the spirit of the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuleco – Brazil (2014)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Fuleco, official mascot of the 2014 World Cup. EFE\/JuanJo Mart\u00edn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Following the tradition of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the 2014 edition also chose to use a national animal to represent the sporting event. Fuleco, a three-banded armadillo native to parts of South America such as Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil itself, was chosen as the tournament’s mascot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The person in charge of presenting Fuleco was the footballer Ronaldo Nazario, who declared that he felt very proud to be able to welcome this new symbol as ambassador of the Brazilian tournament: \u201cWithout a doubt he will inspire many children and young footballers in Brazil, and from all over the world, with the immense passion he feels for football and for his country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuleco also served to raise awareness about the danger of extinction of this species and the importance of caring for and respecting the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La\u2019eeb – Qatar (2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
La’eeb, the mascot of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. EFE\/ Alberto Estevez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The last World Cup sought to break with the tradition of choosing an animal as its mascot, a practice repeated for four consecutive editions, and opted for a more symbolic approach with La\u2019eeb. This time, the chosen design was based on a ghutra or kufiya, a typical headdress in the traditional dress of Middle Eastern men, and its name means \u2018skillful player\u2019 in Arabic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La\u2019eeb was not without its critics on social media for its innovative and abstract design. According to Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi, Deputy Director General of Marketing, Communications and Experiences at the Supreme Committee for Organization and Legacy, this proposal \u201ccomes from the pet metaverse, a parallel universe that cannot be described in words and that everyone can imagine as they wish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luisma Perez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EFE REPORTS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo: From left to right, Maple (Canada), Zayu (Mexico) and Clutch (United States), the three mascots of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. EFE\/EPA\/WILL OLIVER A World Cup would be incomplete without its mascot, a symbol that goes far beyond a simple drawing. 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