What's special about the bear mascot appearing for the first time at EURO?

Albart the Bear was unveiled at the UEFA Congress in February 2024. Albart has since visited schools across Europe, inspiring children to love football and encouraging them to engage in physical activity to improve their health.

Albart, in addition to becoming the official mascot of Euro 2024, also carries the mission of fulfilling the ambition of inspiring children across Europe to become more active by conveying the love of football and the great values ​​that the king of sports brings.

Albart was inspired by the Teddy bear, a popular toy for children around the world, which first appeared in Germany in the early 20th century. Albart's design features the vibrant colors of the German national team's playing kit, which includes T-shirts, shorts, socks and football boots.

Albart has big round eyes, a friendly smile and a playful expression, making this bear image extremely cute and close to fans.

The name Albart was chosen after an online vote by fans on UEFA.com and schoolchildren across Europe. Albart won with 32% of the vote, beating other names such as Barnardo, Barnheart and Herzi von Bär, all of which mean bear in German.

The Albart mascot has begun its journey to schools across Europe, being used in physical education classes by encouraging students to make the bear move through physical activities.

Kids will be able to create their own unique skills and celebrations and have them animated using the latest motion capture technology.

Philipp Lahm - former Germany international and member of the EURO 2024 organising committee - shared: "As a family man, I know how important it is to encourage children's imagination. With the introduction of the EURO 2024 mascot, we hope to create a fun and likeable character that inspires children to play football."

Celia Sasic, UEFA EURO 2024 Ambassador and DFB Vice President, said: "It's great to see UEFA inspiring the next generation to build confidence, live an active lifestyle and understand the importance of team spirit - all important life lessons that will shape their future. This mascot will convey those great messages."

Albart is expected to contribute to creating a vibrant and bustling atmosphere for Euro 2024. Albart will appear at matches, fan zones and tournament-related events. This adorable bear promises to bring fun and memorable moments to football fans around the world.

In addition, the Albert image has also been "processed" into souvenir items. The stuffed version of the brown bear Albert is currently sold on the UEFA store at two prices: 25 USD and 38 USD (about 600 thousand to 1.2 million VND).