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Spain reach World Cup quarter-finals as substitute Merino sinks Portugal late
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89'
Yellow card BERNARDO SILVA (Portugal) is booked by
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90'+1'
Goal Mikel MERINO (Spain) scores!!
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90'+3'
Yellow card RENATO VEIGA (Portugal) is booked by
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90'+8'
Yellow card Ferran TORRES (Spain) is booked by
Portugal squad
- Selected
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1 DIOGO COSTA Goalkeeper
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3 RUBEN DIAS Defender
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7 CRISTIANO RONALDO C Forward
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8 BRUNO FERNANDES Midfielder
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11 JOAO FELIX Forward
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13 RENATO VEIGA Defender
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15 JOAO NEVES Midfielder
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18 PEDRO NETO Forward
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20 JOAO CANCELO Defender
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23 VITINHA Midfielder
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25 NUNO MENDES Defender
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2 NELSON SEMEDO Defender
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4 TOMAS ARAUJO Defender
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5 DIOGO DALOT Defender
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6 MATHEUS NUNES Midfielder
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9 GONCALO RAMOS Forward
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10 BERNARDO SILVA Midfielder
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12 JOSE SA Goalkeeper
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14 GONCALO INACIO Defender
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16 FRANCISCO TRINCAO Forward
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17 RAFAEL LEAO Forward
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19 GONCALO GUEDES Forward
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21 RUBEN NEVES Midfielder
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22 RUI SILVA Goalkeeper
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24 SAMU COSTA Defender
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26 FRANCISCO CONCEICAO Forward
Spain squad
- Selected
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10 Dani OLMO Forward
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12 Pedro PORRO Defender
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14 Aymeric LAPORTE Defender
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15 Alex BAENA Midfielder
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16 RODRI C Midfielder
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19 Lamine YAMAL Forward
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20 PEDRI Midfielder
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21 Mikel OYARZABAL Forward
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22 Pau CUBARSI Defender
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23 Unai SIMON Goalkeeper
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24 Marc CUCURELLA Defender
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1 David RAYA Goalkeeper
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2 Marc PUBILL Defender
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3 Alex GRIMALDO Defender
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4 Eric GARCIA Defender
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5 Marcos LLORENTE Defender
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6 Mikel MERINO Midfielder
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7 Ferran TORRES Forward
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8 Fabian RUIZ Midfielder
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9 GAVI Midfielder
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11 Yeremy PINO Forward
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13 Joan GARCIA Goalkeeper
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17 Nico WILLIAMS Forward
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18 Martin ZUBIMENDI Midfielder
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25 Victor MUNOZ Forward
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26 Borja IGLESIAS Forward
Spain advanced to the World Cup quarter-finals after Mikel Merino scored a decisive goal in the dying moments of their last-16 encounter against Portugal. Brought on as a late substitute, Merino made an immediate impact by capitalising on the ball with seconds remaining to secure Spain's passage through a tightly contested knockout match.
The achievement held profound personal significance for Merino, who had endured a lengthy rehabilitation from a foot fracture that once threatened to exclude him from the tournament entirely. Playing far from home with a newborn son he barely knew and a pregnant wife managing alone, Merino's return to form symbolised both personal resilience and family legacy—his celebration replicated a goal-scoring moment his father had performed in his own professional career decades prior.
In short
- Merino scores last-gasp winner for Spain in World Cup knockout match against Portugal
- Comeback came after months recovering from foot injury that threatened tournament participation
- His corner-flag celebration mirrored his father's goal-scoring pose from three decades earlier
Americas Europe Football Sport World
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “Mikel Merino comes full circle with Spain in touching tale of fathers and sons | Sid Lowe”.