A duck wearing a Mexico soccer jersey took center stage at President Claudia Sheinbaum’s morning press conference Monday.
Merlin, a 2-year-old duck who has gone viral as an unofficial World Cup mascot, appeared at the National Palace alongside his owner, Karla Ivette Gómez, and her family after an invitation from the president.
Wearing the national team shirt and a FIFA ribbon, the duck stood calmly as cameras clicked away.
“It’s an honor to be here and talk with the president,” said Gómez, who brought along her two sons, Carlos, 22, and Cristian, 14. “I need to be pinched. I can’t believe it.”
Merlin rose to fame in the wake of Mexico’s 2-0 victory over South Africa in the World Cup opener on June 11.
Waddling through the streets of Mexico City after the game — wearing a miniature El Tri jersey, tiny sneakers and even socks — Merlin drew smiles, filled cellphone cameras and eventually racked up millions of social media views.
Noting that her staff had learned of the Gómez family’s challenges, Sheinbaum said, “We’re going to help them so that this fame they’ve acquired translates into an improvement in their quality of life.”
She framed the gesture as part of a broader “humanistic” approach to give a boost to honest, hard-working Mexican families.
Gómez told reporters she’s a single mom who sells water and soft drinks on the streets of Mexico City alongside Cristian, who also helps care for the duck. Her other son, she said, has a psychotic disorder and was recently released from a psychiatric hospital.
On Monday, Gómez said the family is beginning the process of registering Merlin’s name with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI).
🇲🇽🦆 Finalmente se concretó la presencia del pato Merlín en Palacio Nacional. Ataviado con la camisa de la selección mexicana del futbol, apareció muy temprano al lado de la presidenta @Claudiashein y de la familia que es la propietaria de esta mascota que se ha viralizado en… pic.twitter.com/FRhilbtfDY
— La Jornada (@lajornadaonline) June 22, 2026
She also said that Merlin has a healthy diet and receives regular care from a veterinarian.
“He’s a bird specialist and checks him twice a year,” she said. “We give him vitamins and, obviously, we give him a good diet,” including one carnitas taco every Sunday in addition to duck pellets, vegetables, fruits, minnows and crickets.
As Merlin’s popularity grows, specialists are warning of a potential “Nemo effect” — impulsive but impractical pet purchases, such as the rise in sales of clownfish following the 2003 Disney film “Finding Nemo.”
“Ducks are farm animals; they are not domesticated like dogs. They require special care,” said Jorge Francisco Monroy López, a member of the veterinary medicine faculty at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Mexico’s national team returns to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mexico City Stadium (Banorte) to finish group play against Czechia.
Already assured of winning Group A, Mexico will then return to Azteca at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 30, against a yet‑to‑be‑determined third‑place team in the round of 32.
With reports from La Jornada, El Sol de México and El Financiero
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