When Spain needed a breakthrough against Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinal on Saturday, Luis de la Fuente again turned to his trusted super-sub. Introduced in the 86th minute with the game locked at 1-1, Mikel Merino struck just two minutes later to send Spain into the semifinals with a 2-1 victory.
It was the second successive knockout match in which the 30-year-old had come off the bench to score the decisive goal, making him the first substitute in World Cup history to net the winner in two separate knockout rounds.
“Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined what’s happening, scoring another goal in the 88th minute, with the ball dropping to me inside the box,” Merino told reporters afterwards.
The midfielder’s emergence as Spain’s match-winner can be traced back to an unlikely moment in February 2025.
With Arsenal short of recognised centre-forwards ahead of a Premier League trip to Leicester City, manager Mikel Arteta pushed the 30-year-old into an unfamiliar role up front. What started as an emergency quickly became a revelation as the midfielder scored twice in a 2-0 victory, unveiling an attacking instinct that has since become one of Spain’s greatest weapons.
De la Fuente has tapped into those same penalty-box qualities during the World Cup.
“Before I went on, he told me to do the ‘No 10 things’,” Merino said.
Perhaps those instincts had always existed, and what has never been in doubt is Merino’s versatility.
“I think he is a complete player,” De la Fuente said. “He’s played as a pivot, a six, an eight, a 10 and a false nine. His performance in any of these positions is at the top level. He can be the best striker, the best attacking midfield player, because of his understanding of the game.”
At Arsenal, Merino has split his time between central midfield and centre-forward, spending 39 per cent of his minutes in the latter role. His reputation as a “duel monster”, forged at Real Sociedad, has translated naturally into attack. The same physical presence that helps him dominate midfield battles also makes him an imposing target inside the penalty area. That gives Spain something they otherwise lack.
Within a minute of replacing Dani Olmo in the 85th minute against Belgium, Spain were already looking for Merino with crosses, Pedro Porro floating one just beyond his reach.
Yet Merino’s value as a striker goes beyond physicality.
“He has got a goal threat. He can smell danger. He can anticipate the action. He’s got really good timing to arrive in certain areas and execute,” Arteta said after Merino’s first appearance up front against Leicester.
His winner against Belgium showcased exactly those instincts. As Pau Cubarsi unleashed a long-range effort, Merino burst into the six-yard box, anticipating that second-choice Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens would spill before reacting quickest to convert the rebound.
“I just tried to stay alert for any loose ball, any pass that might break the lines, and help free up teammates by occupying the centre-backs,” Merino said.
Those same instincts had already saved Spain in the previous round. Against Portugal, his stoppage-time winner came from a perfectly timed run in behind, latching onto Ferran Torres’ pass before finishing clinically.
Arteta never set out to create a striker. Circumstances did it for him. Now, every time Spain need a knockout hero, Merino looks increasingly like the answer to a problem Arsenal accidentally solved.
