After sporting mascot creations like Izzy, the blue…thing from the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, and the most recent London Games’ mascots Wenlock and Mandeville, it would be hard for anyone to argue that anything is too strange or unconventional to be chosen (or completely made up for that matter) for a sporting mascot.
Bearing this in mind, the selection of the armadillo as Brazil’s World Cup mascot in 2014 definitely leans toward the normal end of the spectrum – it’s a real animal for one thing, and not a bizarre melted steel cyclops or unidentifiable blue demon-creature. After dozens of designs, research panels, and polls, the armadillo emerged victorious; found in the north-east of Brazil, it’s also an endangered species.
Fifa’s Jérôme Valcke said, “One of the key objectives through the 2014 FIFA World Cup is to use the event as a platform to communicate the importance of the environment and ecology. We are glad to be able to do so with the help of a mascot who I’m sure will be much-loved, not only in Brazil, but all over the world.”
Quite apart from promoting awareness of endangered species, football legend Ronaldo is excited about the armadillo mascot as well, speaking of it as though it’s a sentient being who’s been hired to do more than simply be an armadillo – “The mascot will play a key ambassadorial role in the next two years, I’m sure he will inspire many young football fans in Brazil and all over the world with the great passion which he has for the sport and for his country.”
Although surely not everyone will be convinced of the mascot’s personal passion for sport and country, to make the run-up to the World Cup as interactive as possible, the Brazilian public will have the opportunity to vote for the armadillo’s name – it will be either Amijubi, Fuleco, or Zuzeco. The armadillo is a fascinating and lovable creature, and the fact that it can roll up into a ball makes it seem an even more appropriate selection as a football mascot. On the other hand, perhaps highlighting the kickable, ball-like nature of a nearly-extinct animal in the context of the biggest football event in the world isn’t the most effective way to save it.
