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

<ul><li><p>World’s sixth-most famous duck falls short of dream</p></li><li><p>Two-year-old must watch Czechia game from distance</p></li></ul><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/22/merlin-the-duck-unruffled-after-meeting-president-of-mexico-claudia-sheinbaum">Merlín the duck</a>’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.</p><p>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.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/24/merlin-duck-mexico-world-cup">Continue reading...</a>