FIFA releases trio of mascots for 2026 World Cup across three nations

FIFA announced on September 25, 2025, that the 2026 World Cup, the first to be hosted across three countries — United States, Mexico, and Canada — will feature three distinct mascots: Clutch, a bald eagle representing the US; Zayu, a jaguar for Mexico; and Maple, a moose for Canada. The announcement, made via a news release, comes less than nine months before the tournament’s opening match on June 11, 2026.

A break from tradition

Unlike the single-mascot tradition of past World Cups, the 2026 tournament’s trio reflects the unique tri-nation hosting. For comparison, the 1994 World Cup in the US introduced a dog named Striker as its mascot in October 1992 at a high-profile event at Hollywood’s Mann Chinese Theater, accompanied by a name-the-mascot contest that drew over 25,000 submissions.

Legacy of World Cup mascots

The 2026 mascots join a colourful history of World Cup icons, each embodying the host nation’s culture or spirit. Previous mascots include Willie the lion (England 1966), Juanito the boy (Mexico 1970), Tip and Tap, two boys (West Germany 1974), Gauchito the boy (Argentina 1978), Naranjito the orange (Spain 1982), Pique the jalapeño pepper (Mexico 1986), Ciao the stick figure (Italy 1990), Footix the cockerel (France 1998), Ato, Kaz, and Nik, futuristic creatures (Japan and South Korea 2002), Goleo VI the lion and Pille the soccer ball (Germany 2006), Zakumi the leopard (South Africa 2010), Fuleco the armadillo (Brazil 2014), Zabivaka the wolf (Russia 2018), and La’eeb the floating keffiyeh (Qatar 2022).