The next Football World Cup will be held in Brazil in 2014 between June 12th and July 13th.

As in every World Cup, the competition mascot is an icon normally associated with local nature and/or culture.

The Brazil 2014 Mascot was already chosen last September 16th and now its name was yesterday known through public voting: “Fuleco”, a mixture between ‘Futebol’ (football in Portuguese) and ecology, since the animal behind the mascot is a kind of small (30 cms long) Armaddillo (Tatu in Portuguese) known as “Tatu-Bola” (Bola meaning ball in english) because it’s the only one of its kind that has the ability of entirely hiding its body inside the carapace forming the shape of a Ball.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1944138/index.html

This species is endemic from Brazil, and also exists in neighbouring countries such as Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. It is considered by the ‘International Union for Conservation of Nature’ as an endangered species.

Brazil will also organize the next Olympic Games in 2016, making this 2 year period (2014-2016) the right place to be if you are a sports fan! But not only, since Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro particularly, are amazing spots for tourism as well!

http://www.rio2016.org/