Fuleco finds new home

Encore for Fuleco! The mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ might have completed the vast majority of his work this summer, but it is not quite time for the armadillo to retire just yet. On Wednesday 1 October, Fuleco was moved from the Home of FIFA to Zurich Children’s Hospital, whose 100,000 patients per year make it the largest medical institution for children in Switzerland. FIFA President Joseph Blatter was on hand to personally oversee the safe delivery of the South American armadillo to its new home.

The FIFA President’s visit to the hospital was a source of genuine surprise for many of the young patients, whose smiling faces clearly moved their visitor: “Our visit can help to spread happiness and generate hope. It’s here that the most important matches of all are decided,” he said.

Blatter then granted Guus, an eight-year-old boy recovering from major facial surgery in the hospital’s burns unit, a long-standing wish by inviting the youngster to watch one of the Swiss national team’s matches. The young boy’s Dutch father was clearly touched by the gesture, but was quick to add: “Guus still hasn’t decided whether he wants to represent Switzerland or the Netherlands at international level.”

Director Markus Malagoli led the President of world football’s governing body on a tour of the hospital, which included the emergency ward and the intensive care unit: “This visit is not only a major event for the patients and the hospital staff, but also a sign of recognition for the work that is being done here,” said Malagoli.

Fuleco has now taken up his new position in the emergency ward, thus continuing a relatively recent tradition which has seen the mascots of South Africa 2010 (Zakumi the leopard) and the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ (Karla Kick the cat) relocate to the children’s hospital after the respective tournaments. After all, it is an arena that plays host to a game of far greater importance than football: the game of life.

FIFA.com News