FIFA World Cup 26 Mascots and Why FIFA’s New Videogame Title Is Interesting

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Image Credit: FIFA

Did you know FIFA has already unveiled the mascots for next year’s FIFA World Cup? Did you also know the mascots will be FIFA’s first “interactive mascots” in an upcoming video game?

Being held all over North America (Canada, the United States, and Mexico), the colourful trio, Maple the Moose, Clutch the Bald Eagle and Zayu the Jaguar, will represent their respective countries in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The FIFA World Cup mascot is made to represent the country hosting the game, its culture, and, more importantly, the game of football and FIFA. As ambassadors of the game, carefully designed by a team of experts, they are made to advertise football as a family-friendly event, especially to appeal to children in hopes of future generations of supporters.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated in the press release announcing the mascots that they are central to the incredible, entertaining atmosphere the governing body has created for the game-changing tournament.

“They’ll win hearts and spark celebrations across North America and around the world,” he said.

“I can already picture them on children’s shirts, high-fiving football legends, and—in another first for this tournament—staring in video games played by millions worldwide.”

The video game he’s referring to is FIFA Heroes, FIFA’s new licensed title where professional football teams and the tournament itself are replaced by playable mascots. From the first-ever mascot, Willie, to the current group, you can put in teams of five.

To put it into context, the videogame, which will release on all current-gen consoles and mobile next year in line with the beginning of the World Cup, is made for younger fans. The videogame will also be a part of the growing portfolio of FIFAe, the electronic entertainment and esports department of the governing body, to make digital football accessible to more fans, the press release said.

FIFA are also partnering with Roblox to deliver in-game events and host quests illustrating each mascot’s role with themed rewards, which, in my humble opinion, may not be a good idea after the news surrounding how the site polices itself this year.

All up, the news is very clear: FIFA are going to try to engage young fans through video games next year. But this isn’t a new move for them.

FIFA’s Videogame Franchise

FIFA has always had a significant presence in the videogame market. The body’s nearly annual titles are shipped by the millions across the world, and that’s only counting the physical copies. If the current year’s game is a little too pricey, you can go over to the bargain bin and grab a previous year for the same console.

Furthermore, since the 1980s, World Cups have had video game tie-ins to celebrate the tournament and the qualifying teams when they play in them. It’s only since 2018, when the 2018 World Cup was relegated to a DLC (downloadable content) for FIFA 18.

The audience of these games are primarily young males and people who enjoy the sport recreationally; not to mention, the games usually score well with critics.

So, why make a grand new title when the franchise you’ve created works? There’s not a clear enough answer, but we can guess creating a brand-new game with three times the stadiums and locations and then having national football team branding as well as being able to know which ones will qualify for next year in time is more expensive to make than using already owned mascots in a 5v5 football game.

So, What Makes The News Interesting?

By FIFA creating a game, developed and published by ENVER in partnership with Solace, for an event that changes location every event, it is more cost-effective and could be successful in bringing more attention to the FIFA World Cup by breaking the mould of tie-ins like done with the Olympics.

Also, FIFA Heroes having mascots from every World Cup appear allows the governing body and the creators of the game the ability to use the title for the next event and maybe continue the game into a larger franchise through FIFAe.

Though, to be fair, since it will be on mobile and it’s aimed at children, FIFA would definitely have to watch and safeguard against predatory advertisements and incentives in regard to microtransactions, which could negatively affect their children player base. Think more stealing their parents’ credit card than loot boxes.

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The A-Leagues Final Series important status also a secret hinderance

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The Isuzu A-League finals series is a huge event in the footballing calendar, though its contribution to stagnant attendance numbers in the league is something to be said.

If the 2025/26 finals series follows similar patterns to those before it, it will gather huge traction and strong ticket sales.

It is the largest event for the domestic league, bringing in massive amounts of viewership through media and gate receipts.

Finals series from years past have shown this, with the 2024/25 final, a Melbourne derby, being sold out within 48 hours and gathering significant viewership online.

The idea of a finals series lies within the Australian sporting ethos; the other sporting codes have had this tradition for most of their existence, especially in recent history.

Football, though, is different from the rest of the sporting codes in Australia, unique even. This has historically contributed to its inability to integrate into the same supported status as other codes.

Many in the Australian footballing community, supporter groups, players, coaches, and even the new Director of Football Australia, have voiced concerns over fan numbers in the league competition.

It wouldn’t be absurd to say that maybe, though profitable now, the finals series is actually taking away from the league itself.

Consider the media image: the league winner is called the “minor premiership,” and ticket sales and viewership figures reveal a huge disparity between the two parts of the A-League.

It must be said that an alternative that could work in unison with the league and possibly increase viewership of the league itself would be a great advantage.

It would allow the league to gain more jeopardy and drama, which could build greater interest in attending league games.

One alternative is already here.

No other sporting code in Australia has both a league competition and a cup competition. Football in Australia does.

The Hahn’s Australia Cup is our equivalent to the FA Cup in England or the Copa del Rey in Spain.

These are competitions that offer a finals option in a different competition entirely. They generate huge traction while never diminishing the importance of the league and, therefore, its popularity.

These cup competitions cannot be discussed without acknowledging some obvious differences.

They don’t face the same popularity issues that football does in Australia. It’s obvious the Hahn’s Australia Cup doesn’t yet gain the traction that the finals series does.

However, for a healthy footballing environment with increasing fan numbers, it should.

The idea of elevating the Hahn’s Australia Cup and scaling back the finals series is a complex question, one that is treated like a “no-go zone” by many in the Australian footballing community, and that is understandable.

Though big changes like this might, in the end, be credible options for the future of the sport in this country.

Larger plans must be set in motion, strategies that can be worked towards and refined along the way. It is the process by which all large organisations, business models and even national governments build their strategies.

Such a shift will be scrutinised and pushed back against.

Though with further fine-tuning and smart investment in development, not to mention the introduction of promotion and relegation and the possibility of changing the footballing calendar.

It could replicate the success that these two-competition models already enjoy in other leagues.

The added importance that the premiership would gain, the reality that every game matters, could alongside other strategies entice fans to more games, increase viewership and ticket sales, and create more dedicated fan bases. It works in other nations, very well in fact.

The possibility of two teams lifting a trophy, rather than one single event defining it all, sounds like a strategy that could deliver more engagement over longer periods of time.

Maybe Australian football doesn’t need to answer this question just yet. It is complex, difficult and it would require a great deal of work, including significant investment into the game, which is another issue entirely.

Yet as low attendance numbers persist in the A-League, even alongside increased media viewership, something needs to change for football in Australia.

The rise in popularity of this game and its dedicated community deserves bold ideas and forward thinking.

Ideas like this could eventually begin to change the landscape of the beautiful game in Australia for the better.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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