Spain’s Mikel Merino enjoys happy knack of scoring late winners
-
30'
Goal Fabian RUIZ (Spain) scores!!
-
41'
Goal Charles DE KETELAERE (Belgium) scores!!
-
43'
Yellow card Pau CUBARSI (Spain) is booked by
-
85'
Yellow card Kevin DE BRUYNE (Belgium) is booked
-
88'
Goal Mikel MERINO (Spain) scores!!
-
90'+3'
Yellow card Aymeric LAPORTE (Spain) is booked by
-
90'+5'
Yellow card Axel WITSEL (Belgium) is booked by
Spain squad
- Selected
-
8 Fabian RUIZ Midfielder
-
10 Dani OLMO Forward
-
12 Pedro PORRO Defender
-
14 Aymeric LAPORTE Defender
-
15 Alex BAENA Midfielder
-
16 RODRI C Midfielder
-
19 Lamine YAMAL Forward
-
21 Mikel OYARZABAL Forward
-
22 Pau CUBARSI Defender
-
23 Unai SIMON Goalkeeper
-
24 Marc CUCURELLA Defender
-
1 David RAYA Goalkeeper
-
2 Marc PUBILL Defender
-
3 Alex GRIMALDO Defender
-
4 Eric GARCIA Defender
-
5 Marcos LLORENTE Defender
-
6 Mikel MERINO Midfielder
-
7 Ferran TORRES Forward
-
9 GAVI Midfielder
-
11 Yeremy PINO Forward
-
13 Joan GARCIA Goalkeeper
-
17 Nico WILLIAMS Forward
-
18 Martin ZUBIMENDI Midfielder
-
20 PEDRI Midfielder
-
25 Victor MUNOZ Forward
-
26 Borja IGLESIAS Forward
Belgium squad
- Selected
-
1 Thibaut COURTOIS Goalkeeper
-
4 Brandon MECHELE Defender
-
5 Maxim DE CUYPER Defender
-
7 Kevin DE BRUYNE C Midfielder
-
10 Leandro TROSSARD Forward
-
11 Jeremy DOKU Forward
-
17 Charles DE KETELAERE Forward
-
20 Hans VANAKEN Midfielder
-
21 Timothy CASTAGNE Defender
-
23 Nicolas RASKIN Midfielder
-
25 Nathan NGOY Defender
-
3 Arthur THEATE Defender
-
6 Axel WITSEL Midfielder
-
9 Romelu LUKAKU Forward
-
12 Senne LAMMENS Goalkeeper
-
13 Mike PENDERS Goalkeeper
-
14 Dodi LUKEBAKIO Forward
-
15 Thomas MEUNIER Defender
-
16 Koni DE WINTER Defender
-
18 Joaquin SEYS Defender
-
19 Diego MOREIRA Midfielder
-
22 Alexis SAELEMAEKERS Midfielder
-
26 Matias FERNANDEZ-PARDO Forward
- Full squad
-
2 Zeno DEBAST Defender
-
8 Youri TIELEMANS Midfielder
-
24 Amadou ONANA Midfielder
Spain's substitute midfielder Mikel Merino has become the unlikely hero of their World Cup campaign, scoring late winners in successive knockout rounds to send his side into the semi-finals. His decisive goals against Portugal and then Belgium delivered Spain's first World Cup knockout victories since they won the tournament in 2010, breaking a barrier that had repeatedly halted them in the past.
Merino has now scored three goals for Spain at major tournaments — one at Euro 2024 and two at this World Cup — all as a substitute, all match-winners, arriving in the 119th, 90+1 and 88th minutes. Against Belgium, Spain dominated with 68% possession and three times as many shots but were level at 1-1 until Merino, on the pitch for less than two minutes, struck the winner. He celebrated each goal by circling the corner flag in tribute to his father, Ángel, who scored a winner for Osasuna at Stuttgart 35 years ago; Ángel watched in Dallas wearing novelty socks bearing an image of his son's Euro 2024 header. Spain, who had not previously reached a World Cup semi-final since their 2010 triumph, now face France.
In short
- Merino's late substitute goals send Spain into World Cup semi-finals.
- All three of his tournament goals came off the bench as winners.
- Spain's first World Cup knockout wins since their 2010 title.
Explained simply
Spain are one of world football's traditional powers, having won the World Cup in 2010. However, they have since struggled to progress far in the tournament, repeatedly exiting at the knockout stages despite fielding talented squads.
Mikel Merino is a Spanish midfielder who typically plays as a substitute, coming off the bench during matches. At major tournaments, he has developed a distinctive pattern of scoring crucial goals late in games.
Merino's impact on Spain's World Cup campaign matters because it addresses their historical weakness in knockout matches. His ability to score decisive goals from the bench is unusual and has become an unexpected strength for a side hoping to end their period of difficulties at this stage of the tournament.