The 2014 World Cup mascot has been named Fuleco by the Brazilian public, the ruling football body FIFA said on Monday in a statement.
FIFA said that 48 per cent of Brazilians joining the popular vote chose Fuleco as the name for the armadillo, with Zuzeco getting 31 per cent and Amijubi 21 per cent.
Fuleco is a fusion of the words “futebol” and “ecologia,” and FIFA said the choice showed that Brazilians cared for the environment just as much as for football.
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FIFA said that the mascot has a high recognition and acceptance rate in the World Cup host country, with 89 per cent of Brazilians saying they have seen the mascot and Fuleco getting a 7.3 average out of 10 for appeal.
Fuleco has its own home page and Twitter account, which said on Monday: “Thanks Brazil! There were more than 1.700.000 votes. Now I have a name and it is Fuleco!”