World Cup FRANCE 98 – Press Releases

27 November 1996

Footix, the Official Mascot of FRANCE 98

All he needed was a name!

FRANCE 98’s official Mascot, lacking “legal status” ever since he was born on 28 May this year, will now answer to the name of FOOTIX.

This was the consensus of the thousands who took part in a national competition organised by the French Organising Committee of the Football World Cup, in collaboration with the French TV channel TF1.

Out of the five names submitted to popular scrutiny, FOOTIX was the runaway winner with 47% of the votes. The other possible names, in descending order of popularity, were ZIMBO, HOUPI, RAFFY and GALLIK