Forget the official mascots for a moment — a two-year-old duck called Merlin, dressed in a miniature football strip, has become an unexpected online sensation.
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup unfolds across North America, one of the tournament’s most talked-about stars is not a player, coach or even an official mascot, but a duck from Mexico City who can’t kick a ball.
Merlin, already known locally in the Mexican capital, has found a much bigger audience over the past few days after clips of him celebrating Mexico’s opening win spread rapidly across social media.
After Mexico’s tense victory over South Africa, his owners brought him out into the capital’s post-match celebrations.
They also made sure he looked the part, dressing him in his own version of the national team kit.
Wearing a tailored green Mexico jersey along with small black-and-yellow socks to cover his webbed feet, Merlin was seen waddling through the famous Zócalo surrounded by huge numbers of cheering supporters.
The image of a duck confidently making his way through the celebrations quickly took off online, drawing millions of views in a matter of hours. Merlin’s sudden fame has turned him into what many fans are now calling the World Cup’s first viral mascot.
“I don’t care about the group standings anymore, this duck is officially a national treasure,” one fan commented on TikTok.
“The way he’s just casually parading around in his little socks is the best thing about the World Cup so far. Give him a medal.”
“If FIFA doesn’t let Merlin walk out onto the pitch with the team for the next game, we riot.”
Long before his viral moment, Merlin was already a familiar and much-loved sight in the historic heart of Mexico City. He often joins his owner, Carla Gómez, and her young son Cristian during weekend trips to sell bottled water and soft drinks from a small cart.
“We don’t like to leave him alone at home; we like him to be with us. He’s our baby,” Gómez told reporters, as per The Independent. “He’s the baby, the sole heir to all my possessions, and now he’s an idol.”
His sudden internet fame has now reached football’s top decision-makers as well. Gómez said the family met FIFA representatives on Monday to film a commercial and take part in promotional photography.
With Mexico co-hosting the competition alongside the United States and Canada, many supporters have started to see Merlin as a lucky symbol for the team. Mexico is staging the World Cup for the third time, after previously hosting the tournament in 1970 and 1986.
The story has also highlighted how quickly a local character can become a global phenomenon during a major sporting event, especially when social media is already primed to turn an unusual sight into a meme, a mascot and a national talking point all at once.
“Mexico, we are with you,” Gómez added. “And Merlin is your number one fan.”