FIFA World Cup mascots - The best and worst mascots from previous World Cups

Goleo and Pille (2006, Germany)

The second lion mascot to be made for the FIFA World Cup, Goleo wore a Germany shirt with the number ’06′ on its back, and carried around a football which was called Pille. The name Goleo came from the words ‘goal’ and ‘leo’, the latter being Latin for ‘lion’.

The mascots were unveiled in 2004, and were presented by Franz Beckenbauer and Pele. However, much criticism was directed towards the organisers for designing a lion, which was not a traditional German animal and was part of the emblem of rivals Netherlands and England.

Zakumi (2010, South Africa)

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa saw the creation of a leopard as its mascot, with Zakumi owning a green mane and wearing a shirt that said ‘South Africa 2010′.

Its green and golden colours represented the colours of South Africa’s national sports teams, while its name came from Za (for South Africa) and Kumi (which meant ‘ten’ in African languages, the year in which the World Cup was being held).