Dawn the Duck leads Scotland's Tartan Army bagpipe march ahead of Morocco World Cup clash

A mallard from Providence, Rhode Island, has stolen the spotlight in Boston ahead of Scotland’s second World Cup group-stage match against Morocco on Friday, leading a Tartan Army bagpipe march draped in a Scottish flag and his trademark golden medallion.

Known as Dawn the Duck — or Dawny — the bird first rose to prominence in 2024 after attending a Providence College Friars basketball game, only to be subsequently banned from the stadium over animal welfare concerns. Undeterred, Dawn has since built a following of more than 30,000 on Instagram and continues to appear regularly at events across Providence, cementing a reputation as a reliable rally duck.

His adoption by Scotland supporters follows a precedent set at the same tournament, with Mexico fans having already claimed a duck named Merlin as their own unofficial mascot.

On the pitch, Scotland arrive in good spirits after John McGinn’s solitary goal gave Steve Clarke’s side a 1-0 victory over Haiti in their opening match last Saturday. A second win would be enough to send Scotland through to the knockout stages, though they are expected to enter Friday’s contest as underdogs against a Morocco side that held five-time champions Brazil to a 1-1 draw last weekend.

Boston, which is hosting Scotland’s first two group games, has felt the full force of the Tartan Army’s presence — the city has reportedly experienced a notable shortage of beer since the fans arrived.

Four Scotland supporters have also had extra cause to celebrate after winning more than $10,000 in a raffle held at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. Two father-and-son duos purchased the winning numbers on Sunday at the stadium, which was packed with travelling Scotland fans, scooping a prize of $10,677.

“We checked in the ninth inning. We had to do a double take,” said Paul Innes, one of the winning sons. “The numbers matched. I think we checked three or four times. It’s just surreal. It’s not really sunk in.”