Albärt is a Euros mascot for all, says designer

The Euro 2024 mascot Albärt the bear is "a mascot for all", its London-based designer has said.

Darran Garnham, who founded his company Toikido in Twickenham in 2020, said he worked closely with the Uefa team to design the creation, which wears a shirt representing a flag for every nation.

The company has worked with global brands including Pixar and Universal Studios, and has shipped more than 30 million products globally, according to Mr Garnham.

He said his team had been told their mascot was "one of the most successful mascots now in the Uefa history".

Mr Garnham said the Euros was "a tournament which is there for everybody" and the mascot had been created to reflect that.

"On Albärt, you’ll see on his shirt that every nations flag - every nations' colours are included, " he explained.

"We wanted something that everyone of all ages would love."

Mr Garnham said the brief for the mascot focused on inclusivity and fitness, and "regular calls" had taken place with the Uefa team to ensure the shape and the size of the bear were right so that it was "a mascot for all".

"Albärt’s design was very collaborative," he added.

"He has boots which are in the German colours, which was a great piece of the design process to make sure that we really represented that home nation."

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