Moscow, Oct 25 (IANS): Brazilian beauty Suzy Cortez has arrived in Russia for a photo-shoot with Russia's World Cup 2016 mascot -- Zabivaka the cheeky wolf.

Cortez is no stranger to sporting events, having starred in a special photo-shoot for Playboy Mexico in August to mark the Rio Olympics. She arrived on Monday, reports Sputnik.

The World Cup photo-shoot renewed the Brazilian model's relationship with Russian football. During the 2014 World Cup, she was chosen to be the Russian team's Brazilian muse. 

"The organisers decided that I look like the Russian actress Ekaterina Guseva, and invited me to be the 'face' of the Russian team. I was flattered that they chose me to represent Russia. I know that this is a wonderful country, with the most beautiful women in the world," Cortez told Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda on Monday.

Russia's World Cup mascot, Zabivaka the cheeky wolf, was unveiled as the 2018 World Cup mascot on Russian television on Saturday. Zabivaka beat competition from a tiger and a cat to become the World Cup mascot, winning 53 percent of the Russian public vote.