Brazil Unveils Armadillo World Cup Mascot

The 2014 World Cup mascot is a Brazilian armadillo whose name is yet to be decided.

FIFA said Brazilians will have until mid-November to choose the name from three choices: Amijubi, Fuleco and Zuzeco. The announcement was made Sunday on a television show that included an appearance from Ronaldo.

“I’m delighted to welcome such an important member to the 2014 team,” Ronaldo said. “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.”

“The fact that the three-banded armadillo is a vulnerable species is very fitting,” FIFA Secretary general, Jerome Valcke, said in a statement. “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.”

FIFA said Amijubi is a “representation of friendliness and joy,” while Fuleco and Zuzeco are linked to an “ecological message.”

FIFA also said the three options were chosen after a vote by a high-profile judging committee in Brazil, including Bebeto.

FIFA also recently announced that the World Cup ball will be called ‘Brazuca,’ an informal word often used to describe national pride, and will be supplied by Adidas.{jcomments on}