Mexico get an unofficial World Cup mascot

Merlin, a two-year-old duck dressed in a Mexico football shirt, has become the 2026 World Cup’s unofficial mascot.
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The duck, owned by Mexico City street merchant Carla Ivette Gómez and her son Christian, became an unlikely internet sensation after a chance encounter on Avenida Reforma went viral. Merlin has also dipped his beak into pre-game predictions, picking the Mexico flag over South Korea before the co-hosts’ second group game.

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