Albärt's US adventure: EURO 2024 mascot and trophy head Stateside
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Article summary
UEFA EURO 2024 mascot Albärt has been building anticipation for the tournament with a trip to the United States.
Article top media content
Article body
UEFA EURO 2024 mascot Albärt made a whole new set of friends in the United States in October, embarking on a whistlestop tour with the competition trophy to build anticipation levels ahead of next year's finals.
Voted as the tournament mascot this summer, Albärt the teddy bear visited several cities with the Henri Delaunay Cup in tow, the pair attending various sporting events to get American fans excited for the 17th edition of the UEFA European Football Championship, which takes place in Germany from 14 June to 14 July 2024.
First on the agenda was a surprise appearance during the Chicago Bulls' pre-season game against the Denver Nuggets on 12 October. Albärt and local mascot Benny the Bull wowed the crowd with the iconic EURO trophy during an in-game moment as the Bulls defeated the Nuggets in their first home pre-season contest.
Albärt continued his journey in Hartford, Connecticut, where EURO 2024 hosts Germany faced the United States in a friendly on 14 October. In conjunction with that game, Albärt visited the home of the UConn Huskies, the 2023 NCAA Division I basketball champions. Joined by the team's husky mascots and their two-legged mascot Jonathan, Albärt was introduced to the University of Connecticut's beautiful campus and shown a few basketball basics.
Making a stop in New York City next, Albärt took in some staple Big Apple sights, while meeting new fans and surprising onlookers. He also stopped by the NBA headquarters and introduced the EURO trophy to the NBA's Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, before heading to Pennsylvania for Germany's friendly against Mexico at the home of the Philadelphia Eagles on 17 October.
Albärt was on hand at the game to deliver the EURO trophy to one of the host broadcasters, Univision, and the famous silverware took centre stage pitchside during their live coverage, which featured Mexican legends Oswaldo Sánchez and Francisco 'Kikin' Fonseca.
Wrapping up his whirlwind American tour, Albärt then spent the day with the Philadelphia Eagles' renowned winged mascot Swoop, who put him through his paces in another kind of football – teaching him to throw, catch and kick the American version.
Visit the EURO 2024 Instagram and TikTok accounts to see photos and videos from Albärt's American adventure.