Brazil 2014 Mascot is An Armadillo

The mascot of the 2014 World Cup is a yet to-be-named Brazilian endangered armadillo. Brazilians will choose the mascot’s name from three choices — Amijubi, Fuleco and Zuzeco.

The three-banded armadillo, commonly found in northeastern Brazil, rolls up into the shape of a ball when threatened.

“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.”