Every major tournament has a mascot, so what is the Euro 2024 mascot?
Some are more memorable than others, but they can always be seen throughout host cities – at stadiums, press rooms, in fan zones and beyond.
Mascots are often the face of the tournament, first appearing at European Championships since 1980 when Pinocchio was the character of choice for hosts Italy. Since then, a number of different animals and cartoon humans have traversed the summer landscape to help advertise the tournament - and Euro 2024 is no different.
What is the Euro 2024 mascot?
Albart the bear is the furry friend of choice for Germany this summer, with the name winning a vote conducted on UEFA in 2023.
Barnardo, Barnheart and Herzi von Bar - all of which are puns on the German word for bear - were all shortlisted, but Albart won with 32 per cent of the vote.
Introduced to Germany fans ahead of the national team’s friendly game against Colombia last June, Albärt visited a primary school in Gelsenkirchen earlier that day.
According to UEFA, Albärt's goal is about "highlighting an ambition to inspire children across Europe to get active and encourage a love of football and its values."
Former Bayern Munich and Germany defender Phillip Lahm, who is the Euro 2024 tournament director, said of the bear: "As a parent, I know how important it is to stimulate children's imagination. With the launch of our tournament mascot, we hope to create a fun and likeable character that will inspire them to enjoy playing football."
Albärt has been travelling to schools across Europe, "challenging pupils to use their own physical activity to spark the mascot into life and make it move."
UEFA added: "Children will be able to create their own special skills and celebrations and have them transformed into mascot animations for the tournament using cutting-edge motion capture technology."
Celia Sasic, EURO 2024 tournament ambassador and DFB vice-president, said: "You can't lay the foundations for motion, playfulness and team spirit early enough. It's great to see UEFA inspiring the next generation to build self-confidence, live an active lifestyle and understand the importance team spirit – all important life lessons that will shape their future.
"This mascot will deliver that powerful message."
More Euro 2024 stories
The Euro 2024 squads are gearing up for the tournament in Germany, with the likes of England, Scotland, France and Italy all hoping for victory. There are golden boot hopefuls, too, looking to fire their nations to glory.
All the kits for Euro 2024 have also been confirmed, alongside the official match ball. We therefore know how the tournament will look at the stadiums, with players hoping for some iconic moments en route to the final.
It's also extremely easy to find out how to watch all the fixtures this summer.
