While players representing their respective countries in the ongoing World Cup trade tackles amid a cheering crowd of fans, an animal, a pet duck christened Merlin, has ridden the moment to global stardom.

Merlin, a family’s pet duck owned by Carla Gómez, a petty trader who sells water and soft drinks on the streets of Mexico, became an internet sensation during street celebrations of Mexico’s 2-0 opening-game victory over South Africa on June 11, 2026.

On Thursday, before the game, Mexico and South Korea flags were placed before Merlin, and it selected Mexico as its favourite, a gesture some likened to Paul the Octopus, famous for accurately predicting game scores.

Dressed in the Mexico national team No. 12 jersey and socks, footage of Merlin celebrating alongside Mexicans went viral, garnering millions of views across social media.

On Monday, FIFA officials took photos with the celebrity duck, dubbing it Mexico’s “ambassador” for the 2026 World Cup.

Its owner, Mr Gómez, described the two-year-old duck as a family member who always accompanies him as he sells water and soft drinks on the streets. He, however, never expected the duck to become a celebrity pet overnight.

“Merlin had already become famous for selling bottled water,” Mr Gómez said, adding, “He is always with us; we never imagined he’d become such a sensation. We weren’t expecting it.”

Merlin features as the unscripted non-human attraction in the spotlight at the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.

However, a dog called Pickles, which found the stolen World Cup trophy in South London in 1966, remains the most remarkable example of animal involvement in the world’s biggest football tournament.