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Duck off: World Cup hero Merlín barred from Mexico game due to Fifa’s animal ban

The Guardian World Thursday 25 June 2026, 01:08 UTC By Guardian sport and agencies 1 min read
Key Points

World’s sixth-most famous duck falls short of dreamTwo-year-old must watch Czechia game from distanceMerlín the duck’s bid to see his beloved Mexico live has hit a snag after he was barred from El Tri’s match with Czechia on Wednesday. Merlín has become a folk hero in Mexico after becoming a symbol of El Tri’s World Cup campaign on home soil. His fans had launched a campaign for Merlín to attend Wednesday’s match alongside his human family.

  • World’s sixth-most famous duck falls short of dream

  • Two-year-old must watch Czechia game from distance

Merlín the duck’s bid to see his beloved Mexico live has hit a snag after he was barred from El Tri’s match with Czechia on Wednesday.

Merlín has become a folk hero in Mexico after becoming a symbol of El Tri’s World Cup campaign on home soil. His fans had launched a campaign for Merlín to attend Wednesday’s match alongside his human family. But his journey was cut short by Fifa regulations.

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World Cup (EVENT) Merlín (PERSON) Mexico (LOCATION) Fifa (ORG) Czechia (ORG) El Tri’s (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian World Read original →

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