Russia’s 2018 World Cup Mascot Has a Hilarious Name and You Don’t Even Get It · Global Voices
Image by <PERSON>.
Last week, Russia revealed its mascot for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup. It's a wolf named “Zabivaka.” The cute little guy has orange sunglasses (some have said they look like ski goggles) that never leave his furry head, and he's dressed in shorts and a t-shirt.
It's too soon to know if this creature will make a good ambassador for Russia or the world's grandest soccer tournament, but it's fair to say already that <PERSON> has gone viral.
If you don't speak Russian, it might be hard to grasp what's so damned funny about this relatively anodyne-seeming wolf person. To understand what has Russians across the world giggling, let's review some of the linguistic subtleties and cultural references at play.
Заместитель Председателя Правительства Российской Федерации по вопросам спорта Виталий Мутко, Иван Ургант и легенда мирового футбола Роналдо в компании официального талисмана ЧМ-2018 – Волка Забиваки! #ВечернийУргант #ЧМ2018 #FIFA #Забивака #Ronaldo #Zabivaka #WorldCup2018
A photo posted by Вечерний Ургант (@vecherniy_urgant) on Oct 22, 2016 at 2:04am PDT
<PERSON> made his first public appearance on Russian late night television. Pictured above, you'll find, going left to right, Zabivaka the Wolf, former Russian Sports Minister <PERSON>, TV host <PERSON>, and soccer star <PERSON>.
Ironically, the man tasked with announcing the mascot's name was <PERSON>, who is infamous in Russia for butchering the English language in various public settings in recent years. He's made such a reputation for himself that Prime Minister <PERSON> even teased him in front of the government cabinet on October 20, when <PERSON> was promoted to deputy prime minister, reciting one of his most infamous English-language gaffes.
You can already visit FIFA's website and read a charming little biography about <PERSON>, who's described as “confident and social.” Wondering what's up with his headwear? According to FIFA, those glasses are magic: “He has taken to wearing cool sports glasses when he’s in action; he believes they give him special targeting powers on the pitch. 880
And he loves to pose for photos!”
The name “<PERSON>” derives from the verb “zabivat” (забивать), which has several meanings. The first and the most straightforward translation is “to score,” so <PERSON> is someone who scores goals. Apparently, that’s what the wolf’s creator, Russian designer <PERSON>, had in mind, when she came up with the name.
In Russian, however, you can “zabivat” a whole lot of other stuff, too.
“Zabivaka” sounds pretty close to “zabiyaka,” which is a “bully” or a “troublemaker.” A zabiyaka is someone who provokes a fight. This word is not used very often today in Russia, and you're most likely to see it in a children's book or a Soviet movie about school kids, but it's still common enough that any Russian speaker would recognize it. A zabiyaka will tease you and push you, until you punch him.
<PERSON> welcomes you to the 2018 FIFA World Cup? 880