How this street duck became Mexico’s unofficial World Cup mascot

The World Cup is officially up and running, bringing fans from across the world together for the globe’s largest sporting event. But in Mexico, fans are cheering more than the players. Following the inaugural match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, fans took to the streets to celebrate the victory of “el Tri”—Mexico’s national team— on national soil. Among the crowds walking around the city, a duck wearing a Mexican jersey was caught on camera, tugging at the heartstrings of people online. “Honestly, it’s better than the official mascot jajajaja half-court goal from the Mexicans,” a user said on X. Have I just seen a patriotic goose 😭😭😭This Mexico content has been insane 👏🤣 pic.twitter.com/7GeDKtsOeC— george (@StokeyyG2) June 12, 2026 The duck has been identified as Merlin, a domesticated duck whose owner Karla Gomez takes around town while working as a street vendor selling water and sodas. “We don’t like leaving him alone at work, we like for him to be here with us,” Gomez told AP. “He is a baby, the only heir of my belongings, and now, an icon.” Merlin has reached such fame that the national team has adopted him as an unofficial mascot. Merlin and Christian Gomez, outside the Palacio de Bellas Artes, in Mexico City, Mexico on June 16, 2026. [Photo:Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu/Getty Images] “From the stands, from home or from wherever you are, your support is unconditional and Merlin knows it,” the Mexican National Team posted on their official X account. The post was accompanied by a seemingly AI-generated image of the duck flying towards the Guadalajara stadium. Mexican brands have been quick to embrace Merlin on social media. “Tonight all us Aeromexicans choose to believe that “this is the one,” Mexico’s largest airline, Aeromexico, posted on X alongside an image of a plane flying above a city while a bat-signal-like light shined the s