He’s done it again: Mikel Merino was in the right place at the right time against Belgium in the closing minutes and sent Spain to the World Cup semifinals. This wasn’t the first time the Arsenal midfielder has demonstrated his knack for scoring at a crucial moment.
July 5, 2024, is probably not a fond memory for most German soccer fans: That was the day the German national team was eliminated after a thrilling quarterfinal at the home European Championship, losing 1–2 in extra time to Spain, the eventual European champions. In the collective German soccer memory, Marc Cucurella’s handball stands out above all else. However, it was also the day Mikel Merino rose to prominence as Spain’s game-changer. In the 119th minute, the midfielder headed home the winning goal for his team. And two years later, at the 2026 World Cup, he continues to write his remarkable story.
Just a coincidence, or is Merino a natural goal-scorer?
In the World Cup round of 16 against Portugal, the first minute of stoppage time had begun when Merino suddenly found himself alone in front of the goal and coolly slotted home the decisive 1-0 goal. And just a few days later, in the quarterfinals against Belgium, he was once again the celebrated hero: Just as he had been in 2024 against Germany and in the round of 16 against Portugal, Merino was brought on as a late substitute. And once again, he had a nose for the goal. When goalkeeper Senne Lammens made a mistake, the 30-year-old was in exactly the right spot and slotted the ball into the net for the 2–1 final score. Is all of this still just a coincidence, or does a clinical finisher lie dormant within this central midfielder?
Merino had a clear take on the matter after the game: “It seems like a coincidence, but it’s actually not. If you go into situations like that prepared, something like this can happen again,” he said in a FIFA interview. He doubted “that it will happen again,” but added that we’ll see. The events on the field were “hard to explain in words” for the Spaniard in the mixed zone. Being two games away from winning the World Cup is “a dream that can come true.”
In the semifinals on Tuesday (9 p.m.), Spain will face the best team in the tournament so far: France. But if anyone knows how to beat these formidable French, it’s the Spaniards. Coach Luis de la Fuente is well aware of this: “We’re the only team that has already beaten France twice.” It’s absolutely justified to believe “that we can beat France,” said the coach, who was very pleased with his players’ attitude.
Just as against Portugal, the Spaniards were far from perfect on offense against Belgium. Their overwhelming dominance translated into only a few scoring chances. In the end, however, it was enough for another victory: “That shows the character of this team. It’s an honor to coach a team that’s so committed and constantly striving to improve,” said de la Fuente. The level of play is simply “extremely high,” he noted, making it “incredibly difficult to win games.”
A more seasoned France awaits in the semifinals
And it certainly won’t get any easier. Although Spain defeated France 2-1 in the 2024 European Championship semifinals and 5-4 in the 2025 Nations League semifinals, the French team—led by superstar Kylian Mbappé—is looking even more mature at this World Cup. Perhaps, in the end, it will once again take the game-changer Merino to upset the top favorites.