Fuleco the Armadillo: The official mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup

An endangerd species of armadillo, native of Brazil is the official mascot of 2014 FIFA world cup. It is a three-banded armadillo species. Fuleco comes from the Portuguese words "futebol" (football) and "ecologia" (ecology), and FIFA said it "seamlessly represents the way in which the FIFA World Cup can combine the two to encourage people to behave in an environmentally friendly way. FIFA said studies showed that the top terms used by the public to describe Fuleco includes Brazilian, nature, friendly and passion for football. This clearly shows that Brazilians already recognize the significance of the armadillo as an important ambassador for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and his role in inspiring fans all over the world with his passion for the sport and his country. The armadillo, which is in danger of extinction, rolls up into the shape of a ball when threatened.

The mascot carries the colors of the Brazilian flag — the armadillo is yellow, with green shorts and a blue shell and tail. It is dressed in a white shirt with the words "Brazil 2014" written on it.
The mascot, with its message of environmental concerns, the ecology and the sport turned out to be very popular with football teams around the world.