Sawt Falasteen - Football 'ambassador' and fan favorite: a duck becomes a star in Mexico

Merlin, a two-year-old duck, seized the imagination of millions of Mexicans when he was filmed walking down the street with his owner while wearing Mexico's green national jersey.

Now a viral sensation, FIFA has dubbed him the country's "ambassador" while the team shared an image of him flying over the stadium in Guadalajara, where the national team took on South Korea for its second game of the tournament.

His jersey number is 12, a trademark for his fans.

Bakeries sell pastries mimicking the image of Merlin in his green jersey, while TV stations interview him about his World Cup analysis. The duck is fairly consistent with his predictions: "Quack, quack, quack."

"At no point did we think he would go so viral," Karla Ivette Gomez, a 48-year-old street vendor, told AFP in front of Mexico City's historic Bellas Artes palace, where dozens of journalists surround Merlin with microphones and cameras.

"We were walking down (the main thoroughfare in Mexico City) and out of nowhere a girl takes a video, and that's when we went viral," she explains.

In the video, Gomez pushes a juice cart with her son while Merlin tries to not fall behind.

His wings remain snugly closed inside his shirt.

World Cup fever in Mexico has ranged from Merlin's newfound fame to the statue of Jesus in the Mexico City Cathedral, who also wears the Mexican team's jersey.

- 'Part of the family' -

A man cries out when Merlin arrives at the Bellas Artes palace: "It's the duck!" A dozen people rush up to take photos and videos while trying to pet him.

It's the Gomez family's third duck. A client gifted him to them after his predecessor passed away. His name comes from the legendary wizard of medieval mythology.

"He's part of the family," says 14-year-old Cristian Gomez, who takes care of him.

"He's our everything," says the mother, who carries a bag with water and changes of clothes. Every now and then they take off his shirt so he can rest and stretch his wings.

The feathered football fanatic eats fruit, vegetables, crickets, fish, and "every now and then a taco," Karla confesses. During his last checkup, the veterinarian said that "he's overweight, he's fat", she admits.

His next stop is the fan zone, where thousands of people are gathering gunder the rain to see the game -- and Merlin.

"They're going to name him FIFA's ambassador in Mexico," Gomez says. "We're very proud of the mention."

There has long been a World Cup fascination with animals who predicted the results, going back to Paul the Octopus in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Guadalajara zoo has already done similar exercises with elephants, gorillas, and a puma.

F.AbuZaid--SF-PST