Merlin the Duck: From Mexico City Streets to World Cup Stardom
The dressed-up duck drew selfies and viral clips as fans embraced it as an unofficial World Cup mascot, Reuters reported.
- In Mexico City on June 16, a two-year-old duck named Merlin became a viral sensation after appearing in a Mexico national team jersey during celebrations for the country's 2-0 World Cup victory.
- Street vendor Karla Gomez and her son Christian, already local figures near the Palace of Fine Arts, initially thought their appearance on Reforma Avenue would go unnoticed by celebratory crowds.
- Footage of Merlin waddling through crowds spread across social media, with fans calling the duck "the best thing about the World Cup so far." Onlookers frequently stop the family to take selfies with the avian supporter.
- FIFA representatives met with Gomez and Merlin for promotional photos, cementing the duck's unofficial status in tournament culture. "We feel very pleased... above all that people love my duck," Gomez said.
- Channeling the spirit of Paul the Octopus, Merlin recently began predicting match outcomes, choosing Mexico over South Korea. The team faces South Korea on Thursday, June 18, before playing the Czech Republic on June 24.
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Forget Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. For some, the real star of this soccer World Cup is Merlin the duck.
Launched on June 11th, the 2026 edition of the Football World Cup is in full swing on the ground, but it also offers us sacred images on the streets of the United States, Mexico or Canada. A small, non-exhaustive florileg of the images we loved after a week of competition.
Merlin the duck becomes Mexico's viral World Cup mascot
While Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez may have scored the goals, it was a two-year-old duck named Merlin who truly stole the show during Mexico’s World Cup-opening victory over South Africa on Thursday. Dressed in the national team’s colours, Merlin swiftly became an unlikely internet sensation and...
Merlin the duck: From Mexico City streets to World Cup stardom
A domesticated duck named Merlin, sporting a miniature Mexico shirt and custom duck socks, has waddled his way into the hearts of football fans, becoming an unlikely unofficial mascot for the country's World Cup campaign.
"Merlin" proudly carries the jersey of Mexico through the streets of the capital. Since the duck has become a kind of unofficial mascot of the country on the Internet, it belongs a bit to the whole country.
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