The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ is drawing ever nearer – with just 14 days to go! Between now and the start of the World Cup, we will take a closer look at a different statistic from the history of the tournament each day.

14 - The 14th Official Mascot in FIFA World Cup history is a cheerful, charming and confident wolf called Zabivaka™.

Zabivaka won the hearts of the watching world last year during the FIFA Confederations Cup and it is now impossible to imagine Russia 2018 going ahead without this delightful wolf. The Host Nation was introduced to him even earlier, as over a million Russian people cast their votes on FIFA.com to decide the Official Mascot for their World Cup on home soil.

The tradition of mascots at the FIFA World Cup dates back to the proud lion cub Willie at England 1966. At every tournament since, the role of the mascot has got steadily more important and they are now an essential part of the spectacle.