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Images of Merlin, a two-year-old duck, parading on the streets of Mexico City celebrated by fans on social mediaJulián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez may have scored the goals, but a duck stole the show.As Mexico celebrated its World Cup-opening victory over South Africa on Thursday, Merlin, a two-year-old duck dressed in the national team’s colors, became an unlikely internet sensation and the tournament’s first unofficial mascot.Images of Merlin parading through Mexico City, wearing a Mexican national team jersey – and socks – as thousands of fans celebrated, quickly went viral, racking up millions of views across social media. Overnight, and as if by the magic of the famous wizard who inspired his name, Merlin had captivated the internet.“We want to see Merlin in the stadium,” one user wrote. “This duck is already a national treasure,” said another. “The best thing about the World Cup so far,” declared a third.In Mexico City, however, Merlin was already something of a local celebrity.A familiar sight at fairs and events in the historic city center, the duck regularly accompanies his owner, Carla Gómez, who sells water and soft drinks from a little cart each weekend. Along the way, the animal attracts plenty of delighted squeals, affectionate greetings and eager requests from passersby for a photo together.“We don’t like to leave him alone at home; we like him to be with us. He’s our baby,” Gómez said. “He’s the baby, the sole heir to all my possessions and now an idol.”Rain or shine, Merlin follows Gómez and her young son Cristian through some of the capital’s best-known landmarks, including Alameda Central, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Zócalo square. The duck shares a particularly close bond with Cristian, for whom he was originally a gift, becoming what Gómez describes as the boy’s inseparable companion.“Merlin had already become famous for selling bottled water,” Gómez said, recalling her surprise at her pet’s sudden rise to fame.“He is always with us; we never imagined he’d become such a sensation,” she added. “We weren’t expecting it.”Now, the family hopes Mexico’s famous feathered supporter can continue bringing luck to the host nation, which is staging the World Cup for the third time after hosting the tournament in 1970 and 1986 – this time a co-host alongside Canada and the United States.“Mexico, we are with you,” Gómez said. “And Merlin is your No 1 fan.”

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For successive men’s World Cup tournaments Fifa has managed to bulldoze its way through costly immigration and entry requirements. In 2014, Brazil passed a law granting free temporary visas to ticket holders, and for Russia and Qatar, the respective autocracies bypassed traditional border friction using Fan IDs and Hayya cards as makeshift visa entry documents that also provided free public transport. Not so in 2026, where Fifa has found its tournament squarely caught up in the second Trump administration’s aggressive border restrictions. Here are some of the people that have been affected.Omar Artan, one of 52 referees appointed by Fifa for the tournament, has been refused entry to the US after arriving in Miami. Artan had been set to become the first person from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup.State media reports that at least 15 Iranian officials and team staff – described as “integral” to the campaign – were denied visas. While the US insists it has granted entry to all “necessary” support staff, Iran’s football federation claims the co-hosts have also revoked the ticket allocation for their group games in an effort to “obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters”.“We are upset about this behaviour”, said the head coach, Amir Ghalenoei. “It has certainly never happened before.”Iran has been forced to move its training base across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. The squad appears to face the logistical absurdity of commuting into the US for their Group G fixtures in Inglewood and Seattle. Iran’s ambassador to Mexico indicated the team must enter and leave US soil on the same day as their games, which would prevent them carrying out Fifa’s mandated pre-match media duties, though this has been contradicted by Iranian state television.The international conflict involving Iran in the Middle East has had a severe knock-on effect for Iraqi football. US consular services in Iraq are suspended, rendering standard visa applications practically impossible.For those who already possessed paperwork, the border has proved hostile. The 30-year-old Al-Karma striker Aymen Hussein was held and questioned for nearly seven hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport before being allowed entry. The team’s photographer, Talal Salah, was less fortunate; he was detained for more than 10 hours and ultimately denied entry following a search of his phone.South Africa’s departure for the World Cup – where they face Mexico in the opening match on 11 June – was severely delayed by paperwork errors. Following a celebratory departure parade, their chartered flight from Johannesburg to Mexico City was grounded because several players did not have their Mexican entry documents in order.This, it seems, is more to do with incompetence than malice. The country’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, described the situation as “embarrassing and grossly unfair towards the players and coaching staff”, pointing the blame squarely at the South African Football Association.The Switzerland forward Breel Embolo was forced to join his teammates late in their Group B camp after hitting a roadblock with his US entry visa. The issue is believed to relate to a 2023 conviction for making multiple threats, for which the Rennes player received a suspended fine. The Cameroon-born striker had to make an emergency visit to the US embassy in Bern to secure 11th-hour approval to travel.The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (Esta) scheme used by the US has also thrown British fans into chaos. BBC Scotland News reported on two separate families intending to travel to support Scotland on their first World Cup adventure since 1998, who found their approved status suddenly revoked just days before departure.The Speirs brothers from Kirkcaldy applied for their Estas on 14 December; they were approved the following day, only to be marked “travel not authorised” on 3 June.For World Cup fans outside the select few nations included in the Esta scheme, the entry barriers are financial as well as bureaucratic. An Esta costs $40 (£30), but a standard required visitor visa sets fans back $185 (£140) – a steep premium before booking flights and tickets.Overall, the chances of entering the US have plummeted since Donald Trump began his second presidential term. A sweeping travel ban fully or partially bars citizens from 39 countries from entering the country, while immigrant visa processing has been completely halted in 75 nations.Of the 48 teams competing at this World Cup, Haiti and Iran face full entry bans to the US, while Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal face partial restrictions. Furthermore, several competing nations suffer from standard US visa rejection rates exceeding 40%, including Uzbekistan and Ecuador, alongside numerous entrants from Africa and the Middle East.The US did make one minor concession, waiving a $15,000 visa bond that threatened fans from five African nations – Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Tunisia – a few weeks ago. For thousands of supporters, journalists and officials, the biggest World Cup in modern history is fast becoming the most inaccessible World Cup in modern history.