World Cup mascots have always been a part of the interest of the event for the past few years. In every iteration, fans eagerly await the big introduction event of the mascot and theme, things that set the tournament apart from not just other sports but other recurrences of itself.
On April 1, 2022, the FIFA committee held the group stage draw in Doha, Qatar. There they unveiled the 31 teams other than Qatar joining the event. Fans also got a glimpse at the FIFA 2022 anthem and the mascot reveal at the event.
La’eeb – the mascot of the World Cup 2022
On the day of the group stage draw, FIFA unveiled the mascot of the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The icon is named “La’eeb”. At the event, a 30-second long teaser revealed this energetic and curious flying figure. Later, FIFA and World Cup 2022’s official YouTube channel posted several videos describing various details about this interestingly unique mascot of the upcoming event.
Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi, the Chief Tournament Experience Officer of the event said, “We are delighted to unveil La’eeb as the Official Mascot for the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world. He comes from the mascot-verse – a place that is indescribable. We encourage everyone to imagine what it looks like. We are sure fans everywhere will love this fun and playful character. La’eeb will play a vital role as we engage fans young and old in Qatar’s FIFA World Cup experience”.
The Hidden Meanings Behind La’eeb
The name “La’eeb” originates from Arabic. It means super-skilled player. According to FIFA officials, he comes from a parallel universe to ours. La’eeb is believed to be a very skilled footballer and attended various FIFA World Cup events before. The mascot also claimed credit for Maradona’s iconic “Hand of God” goal in 1986 and Robin Persie’s breathtaking acrobatic header against Spain in 2014.
La’eeb’s motto is “Now is All”. It is to inspire everyone to become united. The mascot’s design and personality reveal him to be a youthful spirit who spread hope and confidence everywhere. The physical form of La’eeb is similar to a flying kite. His gender is not exactly stated. But the introductory video featuring Moroccan Producer RedOne described him using male pronouns.
This year, La’eeb will serve as the host of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. He will be everywhere from welcoming fans to the stadium during games. FIFA will soon start providing merchandise featuring the enigmatic mascot in Qatar and across several social media platforms online. Fans have also given positive feedback about the mascot. Everyone hopes, La’eeb will provide both entertainment and positive energy to football fans worldwide during the global event.
