Fuleco official mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil
Fuleco is the official mascot of 2014 FIFA World Cup. Fuleco is a Brazilian three-banded armadillo. The species of armadillo is native to host nation Brazil and the specie are in the list of vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. The official mascot was launched on 25 November 2012 on a entertainment show.
The name Fuleco was chosen by more than 1.7 million football fans. The message behind choosing such creature is environmental concerns, like armadillo many specie are on the verge of loosing their presence and as the world cup attracts huge population around the globe is the best way to bring worlds attention towards this issue.
The tatu-bola(an armadillo), defends itself from predators by rolling up into a ball.
The word Fuleco is combination of Ful which stands for Futebol (Football) and the word ecostands for Ecologia (Ecology). The name itself sums it all the message behind such mascot. The 2014 Mascot has an attractive and appealing personality and is hugely popular among young children.
Fuleco will be present at every single venue and for every game at 2014 FIFA World Cup to cheer the players and fans.