Naranjito - 1982 FIFA World Cup Spain™
The 1982 mascot 'Naranjito' was inspired by Spanish oranges. Donned in the host country's kit uniform, the mascot got its name from the Spanish word for Orange, 'Naranja'.
- Name: Naranjito
- Inspired by: Orange
Pique - 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico™
The mascot of the tournament in Mexico was called 'Pique', one of the country's most significant ingredients-Jalapeño.
Mexican cuisine is known for including Jalapeños, and this mascot did justice to it by being a Jalapeño wearing a 'Sombrero' (traditional Mexican hat).
Its name was inspired by the Spanish term for spicy peppers and sauces, 'Picante'.
- Name: Pique
- Inspired by: Jalapeño
Ciao - 1990 FIFA World Cup Italy™
Unlike typical mascots that tend to be fluffy animals or fruits & vegetables, this one was rather unique.
The mascot 'Ciao' was designed by a self-taught graphic designer who had submitted an entry when the Italia 90 organising committee called on a competition. He claimed to have come up with the idea at a traffic signal.
Many accepted, appreciated and approved of the mascot as they believed it represented the start of a new era and a futuristic Italy; most importantly, it set them apart from the rest.
- Name: Ciao
- Inspired by: Italian flag
Striker - 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™
The 1994 mascot 'Striker' was iconic as it was designed by the renowned 'Warner Brothers' who kept it simple at heart. Humbly inspired by a domestic pet dog, the choice was due to it being so common in American households.
It also represented the American flag with the tri-coloured kit.
- Name: Striker
- Inspired by: Pet dog
Footix - 1998 FIFA World Cup France™
The rooster is one of the national symbols of France; hence, was the ideal choice of inspiration for the respective tournament. It also replicated the national team shirt with 'FRANCE 98' wording on the chest.
The name 'Footix' was a combination of the words 'football', and the 'ix' was from the much-loved Astérix comic strip.
- Name: Footix
- Inspired by: Rooster
Ato, Kaz & Nik - 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™
The mascot for this tournament was symbolic as it was the first time there were three elements to a mascot.
Unlike many other mascots inspired by existing elements, Ato, Kaz & Nik were computer-generated futuristic characters. They also had their version of the game termed 'Atmoball'.
Interestingly, they got their names through public voting, which was taken at McDonald's branches across the countries.
- Name: Ato, Kaz and Nik
- Inspiration: Futuristic characteristics
Goleo VI & Pille - 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™
A lion and talking football, Goleo VI & Pille, were the mascots of choice for the German tournament. The name Goleo was inspired by the term 'goal' and the Latin for lion, 'Leo'.
The talking football was named 'Pille', a commonly used word for football in Germany.
- Name: Goleo VI and Pille
- Inspired by: Lion & football
Zakumi - 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™
'Zakumi', the mascot, was a friendly twist on leopards. The animal was chosen because it is very common in South Africa.
The green and gold colours were inspired by that of the national sports teams kit. 'ZA' is a commonly used acronym for South Africa, and 'Kumi' was an African term for '10'.
- Name: Zakumi
- Inspired by: Leopard
Fuleco - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™
The 2014 mascot 'Fuleco' paid homage to the endangered 3-banded-armadillo, native to Brazil. Its name came from the Portuguese words 'Futebol' (football) and 'Ecologia' (ecology).
- Name: Fuleco
- Inspired by: Armadillo
Zabivaka - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™
The 2018 mascot known as 'Zabivaka' was brought to life by a student at Tomsk State University. She claimed to be inspired by Disney.
The character of choice was a wolf wearing sports glasses to protect himself from his high-speed run.
The mascot was a subject of much debate at the time as people interpreted the sports glasses to be winter glasses that weren't deemed relevant to a summer event. However, it was put to rest with due clarification.
- Name: Zabivaka
- Inspired by: Wolf
La'eeb - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™
The mascot for the Qatar tournament, known as 'La'eeb', gets its name from the Arabic term 'super-skilled player'.
Unlike its predecessors, this mascot is one of a kind as it belongs to a parallel universe known as the 'mascot-verse'.
He gets his features from traditional Qatari menswear elements, the 'Ghitra' and 'Igal'. Typically worn with a thobe (white robe), the 'Ghitra' is a white cloth worn on the head, kept in place by a black woven ring known as the 'Igal'.
- Name: La'eeb
- Inspired by: Ghitra (headpiece from traditional attire)
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