No more football tournament without a mascot. On Tuesday (June 20th, 2023), UEFA presented its symbolic figure for the European Championship 2024 in Germany: a teddy bear in soccer shoes. The name has not yet been decided.
“The mascot pays tribute to the popular teddy bear, which is believed to have been born in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century.”, said the umbrella organization. According to the association, the symbolic figure appeared as a surprise guest in a primary school in Gelsenkirchen. In the afternoon (2 p.m.) the mascot will be officially presented.
The mascot is to be presented in Gelsenkirchen on the evening before the start of the test match between Germany and Colombia.
At the 2006 home World Cup, the mascot was a full-grown (plush) lion called Goleo and had no pants on, which had been a topic of conversation for weeks. Goleo had a talking soccer ball called Pille.
Children decide on the name
Over the next two weeks, children from the UEFA school football program and all fans can vote for the name of the 2024 mascot. You can choose from: Albärt, Bärnardo, Bärnheart and Herzi von Bär.