La’eb was revealed for the first time at the FIFA World Cup on April 1 in Doha (Qatar). It joins a long line of mascots introduced ahead of each FIFA World Cup. Qatar and FIFA have named La’eb the Official Mascot of this year’s FIFA World Cup 2022™.
Qatar 2022 will be the first tournament in which a piece of clothing is used as the creative base for the mascot. It is named ‘La’eb’ and was inspired by the keffiyeh – a traditional headdress worn by Arab men.
The Arabic word la’eeb, means extremely skilled player. He is part of a parallel verse about mascots, which is impossible to imagine. Everyone is welcome to imagine what it looks like. La’eb encourages everyone to believe in themselves, that ‘Now is All.’ He will spread the joy of football.
In the coming weeks, you will see more of this character. Meet La’eb, Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 mascot.
What is the World Cup 2022 mascot?
Although it looks like a gutra (a Qatari cloth headdress), the marketing team behind the creation of the mascot says that the mascot was not intended to have an anthropomorphic identity.
“La’eb is a mischievous and fun character from the Mascot-verse, a parallel universe where all tournament mascots reside.” La’eb is a fictional character that you can create. He can be anything a football fan wants him.
FIFA came up with many adjectives to describe a mascot meant to be a mere figment of imagination.
They went out of their way to describe the “mascot verse,” from which La’eb hails. This is where mascots are believed to have been communicating with humans for centuries.
FIFA’s marketing slogan continued, “A parallel universe where tournament mascots exist.” It is a world in which ideas and creativity are the foundation of characters that exist in the minds of all.”
The announcement was filled with unbelievable details, including La’eb having attended every FIFA World Cup tournament before and his contribution to some of football’s most iconic moments, including several famous goals.
Although La’eb’s gender is not explicitly stated, FIFA refers to it using male pronouns. Whatever the case, La’eb is determined to bring positive vibes and the motto “Now Is All” to the tournament.
What does the World Cup 2022 mascot name mean?
According to FIFA, La’eb is an Arabic term for “super-skilled” players.
Common in translating Arabic into the Roman alphabet is the presence of an “apostrophe” in the middle of words. Apostrophes indicate glottal stops. This sound is made when airflow is blocked through the glottis.
This common feature in Arabic is why the apostrophe is used when translating. You may see the apostrophe drop because glottal stops aren’t usually marked in English.
Where will you see the Qatar 2022 World Cup Mascot, LA’EEB?
La’eb, the official mascot of the 2022 Fifa World Cup Qatar, will be visible throughout the tournament. This character will greet fans at matches and cheer on the action. It can also create stickers and GIFs across social media platforms.
In Arabic, ‘La’eb’ means super-skilled footballer.’ This is in anticipation of the many foreign players who will soon be arriving in the country.
Fans can also download La’eb using screensavers or filters. Khalid Ali Al Mawlawi believes everyone will enjoy the FIFA World Cup 2022 Mascot.
How many have World Cup Mascots there been to date?
La’eeb, introduced for the Qatar World Cup, is now the 15th World Cup mascot among the 22 Fifa tournaments. This trend began at the 1966 edition hosted in England by ‘World Cup Willie,’ a lion wearing a Union Flag jersey and the words ‘World Cup.
Three World Cup mascots have been named in the past: South Africa’s Zakumi, a leopard with green eyes, and Brazil’s Fuleco, an armadillo sporting a white shirt. And Russia’s Zabivaka, a wolf wearing colors that reflect the Russian flag, with a name that means ‘The Goalscorer.
Wrapping up!!!
La’eb, an adventurous, fun, and curious player, was revealed as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 mascot. La’eb, a courageous and positive figure, has been to every FIFA World Cup™ and has played a part in some of the greatest moments in football history, including several iconic goals.
La’eeb is known for his youthful spirit, spreading joy and confidence wherever he goes. La’eb is from a parallel universe where tournament mascots exist. It’s a world in which creativity and ideas are the foundation of characters in the minds of all.
- Related: FIFA World Cup Standings 2022
