The USA mascot for the 2026 World Cup emerged today in the first designs and logos. The tournament, co-sponsored by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is the first tournament in which three countries host games. It is only the second tournament to have more than one host. South Korea and Japan jointly hosted the 2002 World Cup.
Mascots are a mainstay of the World Cup. In 2014, Brazil introduced Fuleco, an armadillo. Zakumi the leopard appeared in the World Cup four years earlier. Even Qatar 2022 has a mascot, La’eeb, but FIFA left interpretation on what the mascot does to spectators and fans.
Now, there are early leaks about what the US mascot is for the 2026 World Cup. There’s also an indication of what Canada and Mexico have.
Broken down, America is clearly Uncle Sam, the country’s fictional patriotic hero. Canada’s mascot is a moose, an appropriate animal for the northern country. The one from Mexico is a cactus. The cactus is without a doubt the most extravagant of the three shown above.
United States mascot for the 2026 World Cup
Uncle Sam is a fitting mascot for the USA at the 2026 World Cup. Uncle Sam is not only easily recognizable, but he is actually a human being. He makes the ‘realism’ aspect more applicable, even if there is no precedent for realism when it comes to World Cup mascots. After all, the Qatar 2022 mascot looks like a ghost.
The Canadian mascot, a moose, is pretty standard when it comes to a World Cup. Generally, when it comes to an animal, it is something that has a connection to the country itself. Russia had a wolf. France used its famous rooster in 1998. The first World Cup mascot was a lion when England hosted the World Cup in 1966. That fits, as England is, after all, the Three Lions. In this case, a moose could be one of the most suitable pets of recent times.
Mexico is where things get interesting. Having hosted twice before, Mexico had a few things to do. In 1970, Mexico has a baby in a hat named Juanito. The hat is a staple of Mexican culture. The hats made a comeback in 1986. However, the thing wearing the hat was a giant chili. To be fair, the chili, named Pique, did resemble a human.
In 2026, the cactus also has human features. Arms, legs, face and that trusty hat is back in the fold. However, with an eagle and a snake also prominently featured on the Mexican flag, perhaps they could have fit the theme better.
