Champion the Bear

Champion the Bear is one of thirty-two Beanie Babies Ty released for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, one bear for every country in the tournament. Each bear was retired on the day its own country was eliminated, so the production run for any single Champion tracks that country's run in the tournament.

The tournament was hosted jointly by Japan and Korea, the first time it had been split between two countries, and Brazil won the final 2 to 0 over Germany. Ty released a matching set of thirty-two Champion Beanie Buddies alongside the bears.

Each Champion's swing tag carries information specific to the country it represents, and the Japan and Korea bears alone came in two tag versions, one written in English and one in the country's own language.