The best football mascots
Watford’s Harry the Hornet is one of the most recognisable mascots in the game
(Image credit: Alamy)
Football mascots can always be relied to bring a bit of comic relief to what is â let’s face it â a fairly stressful game at times.
ChievoVerona fans with a ‘flying donkey’
(Image credit: Alamy)
32. ‘Flying donkey’ (ChievoVerona)
Italian outfit ChievoVerona took on the nickname of I Mussi Volanti (The Flying Donkeys) after fans of arch-rivals Hellas Verona joked that theyâd only be promoted âif donkeys could flyâ.
Bodger, mascot of Wycombe Wanderers
(Image credit: Alamy)
31. Bodger (Wycombe Wanderers)
On the face of it, Wycombeâs mascot is just a bloke dressed as a bloke â but there is a proper backstory here.
Goleo VI and Pille, 2006 World Cup mascots
(Image credit: Alamy)
30. Goleo VI & Pille (2006 World Cup)
The 2006 World Cup in Germany gave us two mascots for the price of one: Goleo â an anthropomorphic lion with more than a slight resemblance to kidsâ TV icon Bear in the Big Blue House â and his sidekick, a talking football named Pille.
Billy the Badger, mascot of Fulham
(Image credit: Alamy)
29. Billy the Badger (Fulham)
Badgers donât really have anything to do with Fulham, but the West London club do share their colours with those of the wood-dwelling mustelid â hence Billy the Badger.
Hammerhead, mascot of West Ham
(Image credit: Alamy)
28. Hammerhead (West Ham)
A considerable upgrade on his predecessor, the permanently surprised-looking Herbie the Hammer, Hammerhead has more than an air of Iron Man about him.
Fred the Red, mascot of Manchester United
(Image credit: Alamy)
27. Fred the Red (Manchester United)
It may be their official nickname, but no one ever really informally refers to Manchester United as âthe Red Devilsâ, do they? Itâs just âUnitedâ, isnât it?
World Cup Willie has tea with Franz Beckenbauer
(Image credit: Alamy)
26. World Cup Willie (1966 World Cup)
A whole crop of English players made legends of themselves by winning the 1966 World Cup on home soil, but we canât forget about another absolute icon of the tournament: World Cup Willie.
Pique, mascot of the 1986 World Cup
(Image credit: Alamy)
25. Pique (1986 World Cup)
Mexicoâs first World Cup mascot was a kid in a sombrero, Juanito; their second was much better: Pique, a moustachioed jalapeno pepper wearing a sombrero with the top cut out.
Palmerin, mascot of Real Betis
(Image credit: Alamy)
24. Palmerin (Real Betis)
The streets around Real Betisâ Estadio Benito Villamarin are lined with palm trees, and itâs from there that the LaLiga club drew inspiration for their mascot.
Capitan, mascot of the 2024 Copa America
(Image credit: Alamy)
23. Capitan (2024 Copa America)
It might seem strange for the USA to host the 2024 Copa America, South Americaâs premier international competition, but itâs actually the second time itâs happened â in the space of nine years.
Tokyo Dorompa, mascot of FC Tokyo
(Image credit: Alamy)
22. Tokyo Dorompa (FC Tokyo)
Japan has a bit of an obsession with mascots â and we have to say weâre a bit obsessed with Tokyo Dorompa, the mascot introduced by J.League outfit FC Tokyo in 2009.
A fan carries a cut-out of Footix
(Image credit: Alamy)
21. Footix (1998 World Cup)
The first World Cup to feature 32 teams, France 98 also had one of the tournamentâs most iconic mascots.
Ciao, mascot of the 1990 World Cup
(Image credit: Alamy)
20. Ciao (1990 World Cup)
Another fondly remembered World Cup, Italia â90 introduced the world to Ciao, a stick figure in the colours of the Italian flag and with a football for a head.
Timber Joey, mascot of the Portland Timbers
(Image credit: Alamy)
19. Timber Joey (Portland Timbers)
From a stick figure to a literal person now, and to Timber Joey of MLS franchise the Portland Timbers.
Captain Blade, mascot of Sheffield United
(Image credit: Alamy)
18. Captain Blade (Sheffield United)
Back in England, thereâs another blade-wielding mascot: Sheffield Unitedâs Captain Blade, a pot-bellied pirate with not one but two swords (and an eye patch, naturally).
Moonchester and Moonbeam, mascots of Manchester City
(Image credit: Alamy)
17. Moonchester & Moonbeam (Manchester City)
Weâre not sure there are supposed to be aliens on the Moon, but Manchester City mascots Moonchester (we love a pun) and Moonbeam are clearly extraterrestrials.
Fuleco, mascot of the 2014 World Cup
(Image credit: Alamy)
16. Fuleco (2014 World Cup)
There arenât many animals downright cooler than an armadillo (weâre certain David Attenborough would agree), and the adorable shelled critters can be found in Brazil, hosts of the 2014 World Cup.
Naranjito, mascot of the 1982 World Cup
(Image credit: Alamy)
15. Naranjito (1982 World Cup)
The literal translation of âNaranjitoâ from Spanish to English would be âLittle Orangeâ â but as you can say, Naranjito wasnât exactly on the small side.
H’Angus the Monkey, mascot of Hartlepool United
(Image credit: Alamy)
14. H’Angus the Monkey (Hartepool United)
Owing to legend that the locals once hanged a monkey, believing it to be a French spy, Hartlepool natives are known as âMonkey Hangersâ â and so are the football team.
Harry Gator, mascot of Harrogate Town
(Image credit: Alamy)
13. Harry Gator (Harrogate Town)
They seem to love their puns up in the north of England, and we love Harrogateâs decision to go with Harry Gator as their mascot.
Xolo, mascot of Tijuana
(Image credit: Getty Images)
12. Xolo (Tijuana)
At first glance, youâd probably assume that the dog on Tijuanaâs badge is a Chihuahua â but itâs actually the bigger, even-harder-to-spell Xoloitzcuintle (which, thankfully, can be shortened to Xolo).
Lindona da Baea and Super-Homem Tricolor, mascots of Bahia
(Image credit: Alamy)
11. Super-Homem Tricolor & Lindona da Baea (Bahia)
Thereâs nothing remotely subtle about the mascot of Brazilian club Bahia: heâs a fairly blatant rip-off of Superman.
Kingo, mascot of Willem II
(Image credit: Alamy)
10. Kingo (Willem II)
Dutch outfit Willem II take their name from William II, King of the Netherlands from 1840 and 1849, and theyâve followed suit with their mascot.
Haydon the Womble, mascot of AFC Wimbledon
(Image credit: Alamy)
9. Haydon the Womble (AFC Wimbledon)
As the home of the Wombles, there wasnât really any other option for Wimbledon than to make their mascot one of the beloved litter-picking bear-like rodents, was there?
Super Pepino, mascot of Leganes
(Image credit: Getty Images)
8. Super Pepino (Leganes)
A giant cucumber wearing a Zorro-type mask and a cape, Leganesâ Super Pepino is everything a mascot should be.
Harry the Hornet, mascot of Watford
(Image credit: Alamy)
7. Harry the Hornet (Watford)
Watfordâs long-serving mascot, Harry the Hornet made headlines in 2016 for mocking Wilfried Zaha.
Cyril and Cybil the Swan, mascots of Swansea City
(Image credit: Alamy)
6. Cyril & Cybil the Swan (Swansea City)
Swanseaâs Cyril the Swan is even more notorious than Harry the Hornet, being accused of bringing the game into disrepute with his antics â which only makes him more of a legend, really.
Crusty the Pie, mascot of Wigan Athletic
(Image credit: Alamy)
5. Crusty the Pie (Wigan Athletic)
The winning design in a competition among local schoolchildren, Crusty the Pie became Wiganâs official mascot in 2019.
Hennes, mascot of Koln
(Image credit: Alamy)
4. Hennes (Koln)
Koln are nicknamed the Billy Goats, and their mascot is one â a real, live one called Hennes, named after legendary player and manager Hennes Weisweiler.
Gunnersaurus, mascot of Arsenal
(Image credit: Alamy)
3. Gunnersaurus
There was palpable outrage in 2020 when Gunnersaurus, beloved mascot of Arsenal since 1993, was sacked.
Boiler Man
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2. Boiler Man (West Brom)
We wouldnât normally be fans of a mascot being tied to the clubâs shirt sponsor, but West Bromâs Boiler Man is no ordinary mascot.
Partick Thistle mascot Kingsley poses with fans wearing masks of his face
(Image credit: Alamy)
1. Kingsley (Partick Thistle)
AAAGGGHHH!!! What in the name of all things yellow is that?!
Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open…
Most Popular
