Despite not being a native creature in the country, lions have long been a symbol of England.
The Three Lions on the national team’s badge even goes as far back as the 12th century, according to The Guardian, with the symbol used on the field of battle to inspire victory.
Using a lion, then, was a reasonable choice. What is a bit weird, though, is that Willie, a cartoon lion who was the first official World Cup mascot, wears a shirt with the Union Jack on it. The flag of the United Kingdom represents the nations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Anyone who knows anything about football (or inter-state relations) in the UK should recognize that using the flag to represent England alone is a pretty controversial choice.
That’s especially true when considering that no games were played outside of England, and none of the UK’s other nations played in the tournament.
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