{"id":1671,"date":"2026-06-20T12:58:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:58:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/2026\/06\/20\/fifa-names-merlin-the-duck-as-official-ambassador-of-mexico-city-amid-viral-world-cup-craze\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T18:58:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T18:58:35","slug":"fifa-names-merlin-the-duck-as-official-ambassador-of-mexico-city-amid-viral-world-cup-craze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/2026\/06\/20\/fifa-names-merlin-the-duck-as-official-ambassador-of-mexico-city-amid-viral-world-cup-craze\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA Names Merl\u00edn the Duck as Official Ambassador of Mexico City Amid Viral World Cup Craze"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Merl\u00edn, the duck that captured hearts during the 2026 World Cup, has officially been named an ambassador of Mexico City by FIFA. This announcement, made on June 19, 2026, has sparked a lively debate online: is this a genuine celebration of Mexican pride or a savvy move by FIFA to capitalize on a viral sensation?<\/p>\n<p>The story began simply enough. After Mexico\u2019s first group stage win, Merl\u00edn was spotted waddling along Paseo de la Reforma during a family\u2019s workday, quickly becoming a beloved figure. Dubbed the \u201cWorld Cup duck,\u201d Merl\u00edn\u2019s charm spread far beyond Mexico, turning him into a global viral phenomenon.<\/p>\n<p>His rise from local celebrity to unofficial mascot of the Mexican team culminated on June 18, when Merl\u00edn was named ambassador for the Mexico vs. South Korea match and invited, along with his family, as guests of honor at the FIFA Fan Fest in Mexico City.<\/p>\n<p>FIFA\u2019s June 19 announcement solidified Merl\u00edn\u2019s role as an official ambassador for the host city during the 2026 World Cup. The Mexico City Football Federation\u2019s social media celebrated the duck\u2019s journey: \u201cMerl\u00edn arrived as a gift and today is part of something much bigger. In this FIFA World Cup, Merl\u00edn becomes an official ambassador of our Host City Mexico City, proudly carrying a story of love, effort, and very Mexican unity. Because the spirit of Mexico City also has feathers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For many, Merl\u00edn represents more than just a viral moment \u2014 he embodies the warmth, resilience, and community spirit that define Mexico City during this global event. Whether you see it as a clever marketing move or a heartfelt tribute, Merl\u00edn\u2019s story adds a unique, lighthearted chapter to the 2026 World Cup narrative.<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-x\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MexicoCity26\/status\/2068106662456742125\"><\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Merl\u00edn, the duck that captured hearts during the 2026 World Cup, has officially been named an ambassador of Mexico City by FIFA. This announcement, made on June 19, 2026, has sparked a lively debate online: is this a genuine celebration of Mexican pride or a savvy move by FIFA to capitalize on a viral sensation? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1670,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-internacional"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1671"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1671\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1672,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1671\/revisions\/1672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/topnews.mx\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}