| Zabivaka | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official artwork | |
| First appearance | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
| Created by | Ekaterina Bocharova |
| Portrayed by | Rafe Young |
| In-universe information | |
| Species | Eurasian wolf |
| Nationality | Russian |
Zabivaka (Russian:Забива́ка)[1] was the official mascot of the2018 FIFA World Cup, which was held inRussia. The name is ablend of the Russian wordsзабивать ("to strike") andсобака ("dog").
Designed by student designer Ekaterina Bocharova, aged 22, the mascot was selected byinternet voting in Russia, beating out a tiger and a cat.[2]
In pre-World Cup events, the mascot was played by EnglishYouTuber and actor Rafe Young.[3]
The mascot was unveiled on 21 October 2016. It represents ananthropomorphicEurasian wolf (Canis lupus lupus) with brown and white fur, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "RUSSIA 2018" and orangegoggles — according to the designer, these are not ski goggles, but sports goggles like those used in cycling: "Zabivaka is so fast on the field that he needs eye protection".[4]
The combination of white, blue and red T-shirt and shorts are the national colours ofthe Russian team.
The competition results were announced on 22 October 2016, in theEvening Urgant on theChannel One Russia. The Wolf, named Zabivaka, scored 53% of the votes, ahead of the Tiger (27%) and the Cat (20%). More than one million people participated in the voting, which took place during September 2016 at FIFA.com, as well as before an during the live show of theEvening Urgant, where the results of the competition were announced.[2]
The name was suggested at the show by the chairman of the World Cup 2018 Organising CommitteeVitali Mutko. FIFA paid Bocharova $500.[5]
| Preceded by | FIFA World Cup mascot Zabivaka FIFA 2018 | Succeeded by |
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