The mascot for next year's European Championship in Germany will be a teddy bear — and this time it won't be naked from the waist down.
The mascot made its first appearance Tuesday morning by surprising children at a primary school in Gelsenkirchen, where it was set to appear again later before the team’s friendly game against Colombia.
The large-headed mascot with big eyes has shorts — in contrast to the 2006 World Cup mascot, a lion named “Goleo” that was widely ridiculed for not having pants.
The as-yet unnamed teddy bear also has a soccer jersey, socks and boots. Fans were to help name it by choosing between Albärt, Bärnardo, Bärnheart or Herzi von Bär. “Bär” is the German word for bear.
“As a parent, I know how important it is to stimulate children’s imagination,” Euro 2024 tournament director Philipp Lahm said. “With the launch of our tournament mascot, we hope to create a fun and likeable character that will inspire them to enjoy playing football.”
The mascot is due to appear in host cities over the next year. Germany will host the tournament from June 14-July 14, 2024.
Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on Aug. 20 in Sydney, Australia. The player said it was without her consent.
Gauff is the first American teenager to win the country’s major tennis tournament since Serena Williams in 1999.
The Lions walked into roaring Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night, where the Kansas City Chiefs are nearly unbeatable and were trying to open their latest Super Bowl title defense with a win, and proved what Detroit coach Dan Campbell has come to know in turning around the long downtrodden franchise.
Spanish soccer star Jenni Hermoso said a kiss from federation president Luis Rubiales after the team's World Cup win was sexual assault.
Because tennis balls are extremely hard to recycle and the industry has yet to develop a ball to make that easier, nearly all of the 330 million balls made worldwide each year eventually get chucked in the garbage, with most ending up in landfills.
“You cannot imagine," he said. "One player (is) gonna die, and they’re gonna see.”
Spanish state prosecutors say soccer player Jenni Hermoso has accused Luis Rubiales of sexual assault for kissing her on the lips without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final.
Rising tennis sensation Coco Gauff is the first teen from the U.S. to reach the semifinals in the U.S. Open since Serena Williams in 2001.
Spain Women's Soccer Coach Fired
She got that far this time by beating Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Sunday.
