Make Way For...Volar...?
A Mythical Seabird is Now the Mascot for North American, South American and Caribbean Soccer
Mascots are a wild thing. Sometimes having an animal or figure to represent your team can be a great way to engage the fans. And other times, mascots are incredibly annoying. Well, this week Concacaf (soccer’s governing body in North America, Central America and the Caribbean) decided to create a mascot for a third category: The “Who Asked For This?” contingent.
Let’s back this up. So the majestic “seabird” you are seeing in the image above is Volar, an appointed “guardian of the game.” You know what? I’m not even going to go into detail because the Concacaf website already has:
Volar is a symbol of unity and passion for Concacaf, embodying the deep connection between our 41 Member Associations and the ocean that links them. Designed to embrace our shared love for football, Volar's story inspires us all to cherish our unique qualities and pride in our confederation.
As a seabird guided by the spirit of the ocean on a mystic mission, Volar represents strength, freedom, and endurance. The sea is more than just a backdrop, it is crucial for our climate, helps sustain our communities, and reflects the boundless essence of football across our region. He reminds us to break free from limitations, embrace opportunities, and explore new horizons. (Full Press Release Here)
Okay, there’s a LOT of corporate speak here. But from what I gather is that there was a need to create a visual identity for a region of soccer that is either overlooked entirely or worse, picked apart and judged by its subregions. This usually manifests as “Mexico is too good for Concacaf” or “So many of the Caribbean nations aren’t at the level as some of the other teams.” So, why not have a symbol beyond a logo that unites everybody? And because Concacaf doesn’t want to be seen as favoring Mexico or the United States, Volar going to be the most eagley, non-eagle bird they could find that kind of looks like an eagle if you squint hard enough.
And this bird don’t skip leg day, people!
So another interesting feature of Volar (besides the fact it has both arms AND wings), it’s that the feathers of the wings represent all of the Concacaf nations in the region. It appears to go from The US Virgin Islands to Anguilla tip-to-tip, and you could probably turn the whole thing into a guess-the-flag game if you let it. Though I’m sure any animator will side-eye you into oblivion because you’ve now forced them to draw EVERY one of the 41 flags in the region each time the bird is featured.
Here’s the meaning behind “Volar”:
The Spanish name Volar means "to fly" in English, “voler” in French, and “vliegen” in Dutch. His name captures our collective ambition to reach new heights. Volar is the ultimate guardian of Concacaf’s heart, championing our fans, cultures, and the unifying power of football, both on and off the pitch.
That’s funny because the totality of my ambitions is to survive the month and pay my rent on time, but pop off you golden hubcap-wearing SkyKing! Anyway, the design was created by Design Force with Marvel helping out with the backstory. Yeah, that MARVEL. They made a comic and everything! Though you shouldn’t be surprised, remember when the Nets moved to Brooklyn and launched a mascot called The BrooklyKnight??
Yeah, Marvel helped out on that one too. If the check clears I guess.
But back to Volar for a second. Again, I’m not necessarily opposed to organizations coming up with new ways to merchandise and take my money, I just find the corporate reasoning, the “imagineering” if you will, is just a bit cringe. What kid is going to go, “Mommy! Can I have a Volar action figure because it’s capturing my ambition to reach new heights? Please!”
Anyway, the marketing push is already on, with the Seabird already appearing in the game Roblox.
Nah, I’m sorry if that’s not a soccer-playing, luchador eagle then I don’t know what is.