China Is Obsessed with World Cup Mascot La’eeb

Without a team of their own to support, Chinese soccer fans are making their own versions of this year’s World Cup mascot.

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The official mascot of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is La’eeb, a cutesy figure whose name means ‘super-skilled player’ in Arabic.

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On the Chinese lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu, posts showing how to DIY La’eeb out of tissues and put keffiyehs on pets are blowing up.

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La’eeb even has a Chinese nickname: ‘dumpling wrapper’ (饺子皮).

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One Weibo user called it “the best-looking and cutest” World Cup mascot ever. Others have praised its simple, localized design.

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Chinese fans have also compared La’eeb to a Qatari prince who went viral for his dramatic facial expressions during the match between Qatar and Ecuador.

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