Merlin the duck, a viral sensation during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, has been named an official ambassador for Mexico City, a host city for the sporting extravaganza.
The two-year-old pet duck, owned by street vendor Karla Ivette Gomez, has captured the hearts of global football fans after he was filmed waddling through crowds in what appeared to be a Mexican national team jersey alongside his family's vendor cart during street celebrations following Mexico's opening 2-0 victory against South Africa on June 12.
"I have seen videos of Merlin. He is so cute. We were just talking about him. I said I wouldn't leave until I saw the duck. We saw a lot of people gathered here, and upon closer inspection, yes, it was him," said Daniela, a German football fan.
In fact, Merlin had already been well-known among locals as Karla and his son would take the duck when selling beverage around the streets.
But after the video went viral on the internet, Merlin's popularity has soared to the point that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum invited the duck and his owners to a press conference at the National Palace on June 22.
"We didn't realize Merlin had become so famous until we returned to the store to unload the goods at that night. About two or three days later, we saw so many posts and realized his popularity. We are very happy, because people are starting to learn about our family's story," Karla said.
"In Mexico, everyone loves animals. It's a delightful and heartwarming surprise to see this hardworking family becoming popular," said Flores, a Mexican football fan.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 23rd edition of the tournament but the first to feature 48 teams and three host countries, kicked off on June 11 and will run through July 19, with its 104 matches hosted by 16 cities -- 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.
Pet duck becomes Mexico City's official World Cup ambassador
With tensions resurfacing barely two weeks after the United States and Iran signed a peace memorandum of understanding (MoU), an Iranian political expert has warned the U.S. is adopting a contradictory posture -- pursuing negotiations while continuing military pressure.
Fresh clashes have raised serious doubts about the durability of the fragile truce, with both sides accusing each other of violations.
The U.S. conducted strikes on Iranian targets on Friday and Saturday, citing "continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping" in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by striking U.S. military positions in the region.
During an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Foad Izadi, an associate professor at the University of Tehran, argued that Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz are in line with the MoU, contrary to U.S. accusations.
"Article 1 is very clear that a ceasefire means ceasing fire. The United States has violated that with regard to Iran. The excuse they have is that Iran is trying to manage the Strait of Hormuz in terms of the passage of ships. But apparently, they have not read Article 5, because based on Article 5 of the MoU, that is what Iran is supposed to do, at least for the next 60 days. And the management of the Strait of Hormuz is going to be decided between the two coastal states. That is Iran and Oman," he said.
Izadi warned that the U.S. actions undermine the possibility of genuine diplomacy, though Iran keeps that on the table.
"Diplomacy can work if the United States wants it to work. If they want to have these talks to keep oil prices low, because if these talks break down, it may affect oil prices. They don't want to do that. They want to keep oil prices low, and they want to attack Iran at the same time, and they don't want to do what they are supposed to do under the agreement. You see, they are already violating Articles 1 and 5 of the agreement. So they want to have it both ways. They want to have these negotiations, but they don't want to engage these negotiations seriously, and they are preparing for their next attack. This is something that Iranian officials realize," he said.
Iranian expert warns US violations undermine fragile ceasefire with Iran
Iranian expert warns US violations undermine fragile ceasefire with Iran
