Merlin the – A domesticated duck named Merlin—wearing a tiny Mexico shirt and custom duck socks—went viral after it waded through World Cup celebrations on Mexico City’s busy Reforma Avenue following Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa. Street vendor Karla Gomez now finds h
On Mexico City’s Reforma Avenue, it didn’t take long for the crowd to notice the duck.
Merlin—domesticated. two years old. and dressed in a miniature Mexico shirt—appeared alongside his caretaker during street celebrations after Mexico’s co-hosts secured a 2-0 victory over South Africa in last week’s World Cup opening game. As fans gathered to cheer Mexico’s goals, Merlin wandered through the crowd in the capital’s heavy foot traffic. Onlookers filmed the scene on their cell phones. and the footage spread quickly online. pulling fans into a new kind of match-day ritual.
People began demanding Merlin become the official Mexican mascot for the World Cup.
Merlin’s owner, street merchant Karla Gomez, said she and her family have tried to stay respectful in the attention that followed. “We are very respectful,” Gomez said. “We respect the (Mexico City mascot) axolotl as much as the (FIFA) jaguar. We don’t like controversy, honestly.”
Gomez, who usually sells beverages in Mexico City’s streets with her son Christian and her duck, said the fame arrived like a surprise. “It was a normal day for us,” she said. “We thought we were passing by unnoticed, because obviously we never thought Merlin would have that boom.”
Now, she says, she’s learning to embrace what that boom has turned into. Fans repeatedly stop the family to take selfies with Merlin, who can also be seen cooling off in public fountains.
“For us it has been a surprise, truly,” Gomez said. “The fact that Merlin is the unofficial mascot of the World Cup … we feel very pleased about such a situation and above all that people love my duck.”
Gomez described her role in the public spotlight with the kind of pride that comes from being unexpected in the best way. “I’m Merlin’s mum. I already consider myself as such,” she said.
The duck’s popularity has also spilled into playful match talk. Channeling the spirit of Paul the Octopus, Merlin recently “tried his beak” at match predictions. When presented with both flags, he picked Mexico over South Korea.
That prediction found a real-world result soon after: Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 on Thursday in Group A. The team’s next match is against the Czech Republic on June 24.
In the middle of a World Cup campaign built on momentum and noise, Merlin’s quiet waddling presence has become its own kind of message—one carried not by officials or stadium scripts, but by fans who keep showing up, filming, smiling, and asking for the duck to stay.
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