A tiger that can wriggle out of tight spots has been unveiled as the official mascot of this year’s FIFA Futsal Men’s World Cup in Uzbekistan.
Known as XON, the tiger has been chosen as the mascot because it represents local and regional Asian heritage married with the thrill and speed of futsal.
Announcing XON’s role in the 24-nation tournament, FIFA said: “XON is truly representative both of the unique features of futsal, including its speed and its thrilling nature, and of the local and regional heritage of Uzbekistan.
“The captivating tiger also symbolises the spirit of the futsal event, reminding everyone that no matter where you come from or who you are, there is a place for you on the futsal pitch and in the community.
“The choice of XON takes inspiration from the ability of Turanian tigers to hide, appear out of nowhere and suddenly disappear again with power and grace, just as the top futsal players wriggle their way skilfully out of tight spots with to attack, defend and create.”
The tournament will make history as the first FIFA event to be held in Central Asia, as part of FIFA’s plan to to honour their commitment to making football truly global.
The 23-day competition, which will take place between September 14 and October 6, will feature the world’s best futsal national teams and players, with all six confederations represented among the 24 competing nations.
New Zealand’s Futsal Whites will make their first-ever appearance at a Futsal World Cup, having qualified as Oceania’s representative.
In a tournament of firsts, the 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan will boast five teams from Central Asia, as Afghanistan, IR Iran, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan join the host nation.
Two of those sides, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, will appear at a FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time, while France are also newcomers to the competition, taking the total number of debutants to four.
Futsal is experiencing a real boom in popularity and is one of the fastest-growing indoor sports in the world.
Tashkent, Bukhara and Andijan will be the three host cities for the 24-team competition.
Tickets for the tournament can be bought here >>>>
This story was first published on August 10, 2024.
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