Hunan-made World Cup mascots roll off production lines for global fans

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup gained momentum this week, production lines at a toy factory in Changde, Central China's Hunan province, were operating at full speed to produce the latest batch of officially licensed World Cup mascot figurines.

According to FIFA, the mascot trio represents the three host nations of the 2026 World Cup: a moose for Canada, a jaguar for Mexico, and a bald eagle for the United States.

At the Sunny and Sandy (Hunan) Group plant, a round of 10-centimeter-tall plastic figurines was processed through an automated production line. The finished versions were then sent to a packaging workshop, where workers manually inspected them, attached bases and display cases, and applied FIFA-authorized anti-counterfeit labels. After this, the mascots were packed in sets of three for shipment.

According to Li Cheng, executive director and chief financial officer of Sunny and Sandy, four machines work together to produce 48 figurines per minute. With 100 sets of these machines across the company's five plants, they're able to produce 288,000 per hour. "This production capacity was one of the reasons we secured the FIFA license," Li said.

In September, Sunny and Sandy obtained the global exclusive license to produce 3D plastic figurines of the 2026 World Cup mascots.

According to Sun Zhiyu, the company's sales director, the design team transformed simple 2D images provided by FIFA into three-dimensional figurines with various poses and expressions. "Our designs were completed and approved by FIFA in a short time," Sun said.

All of the company's products are made from food-contact-grade materials that meet Chinese, European, and US safety standards, Sun added. "Even if a child accidentally puts it in their mouth, they're safe."

In May, the company shipped more than 250,000 World Cup mascot figurines to countries including the US and Mexico. The mascots are now available in FIFA-licensed stores near match venues. With most international orders fulfilled, Li Cheng noted that the current production run is mainly for the domestic market.

Last month, Sunny and Sandy signed a partnership with China South Publishing & Media Group to sell the figurines in 150 Xinhua Bookstore outlets across Hunan and its online platforms. "We want to bring our globally recognized products back to Chinese consumers," Li said.