Lucky duck? Mexico's viral mascot gets National Lottery ticket

Mexico's Lotería Nacional has issued a commemorative lottery ticket honoring Merlín, a duck that became a viral symbol of the 2026 World Cup after appearing in Mexico City's streets dressed in national team colors.

The ticket, tied to the institution's Sorteo Superior No. 2891, features an illustration of the duck wearing a green Mexican national team jersey. Gómez attended the ticket's presentation ceremony alongside lottery officials.

Merlín's popularity began when i walked the duck through Mexico City's historic downtown dressed in national team gear, drawing attention from tourists who stopped to photograph it.

Merlín's rise to fame began during the World Cup, when its owner, Karla Ivette Gómez, took the duck on walks through Mexico City's Centro Histórico wearing Mexican team merchandise. 

Images of the duck circulated widely on social media and were picked up by international outlets, with fans and media describing it as the unofficial mascot of the tournament. 

The duck also appeared in television broadcasts and international reports covering the atmosphere surrounding the World Cup in Mexico.

Lotería Nacional is Mexico's state lottery operator, and its Sorteo Superior draws are among its longest-running products, periodically issuing commemorative editions tied to cultural or sporting events. 

The tribute marks the latest development in a story that grew organically among soccer fans rather than through any official marketing campaign by FIFA or sponsors connected to the tournament.

Lotería Nacional regularly issues commemorative tickets for its Sorteo Superior to mark historical anniversaries, cultural institutions, public figures and major sporting events. Earlier this year, the lottery dedicated special editions to the 65th anniversary of Panini, the Mesoamerican ballgame and the 50th edition of Mexico's Tianguis Turístico.