Spain are through to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and once again Mikel Merino was the man who delivered when his country needed him the most.
Just days after breaking Portugal's hearts with a dramatic stoppage-time winner in the Round of 16, the Arsenal midfielder produced another unforgettable moment and scored in the 88th minute to win a thrilling 2-1 victory over Belgium in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Spain dominated the game for long periods of time and enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and patiently built attacks with their trademark passing style. They finally had their dominance pay off in the 30th minute of the game when they broke it open after some long pressure.
But Belgium refused to go away quietly. Just before halftime they struck back in the 41st minute to level the match at 1-1 and swing the momentum into the break.
The second half was a rather familiar one. Spain still controlled possession and had lots of chances, while Belgium had a lot of discipline at the back and could threaten on quick counterattacks. As time ran out and extra time was on its way, Spain’s latest hero was in the limelight again.
Pau Cubarsi took a shot in the 88th minute from outside the box and Belgian substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens couldn’t hold onto the ball. The ball fell perfectly for Merino who had only been on the pitch for two minutes. The midfielder, faster than anyone else, pounced on the rebound and fired it into the net to ignite wild celebrations among the Spanish players and fans.
The goal was Merino's second consecutive match-winning strike in the knockout stage, following his dramatic winner against Portugal earlier in the tournament.
After the match, the 30-year-old admitted he couldn’t believe what happened. He said even he couldn’t believe what had happened.
"I couldn’t have imagined something like this even in my wildest dreams—another goal in the dying minutes," Merino said.
When reflecting on his back-to-back heroics, he added with a smile:
"I thought it would take a long time to repeat a feat like that... and I managed it in the very next game!"
Merino has said his impact was to always be ready whenever he was called upon.
"It's about going out there with that drive and believing that you can be at the helm of things on all sides that you’re needed. And that’s exactly what I did."
Despite the victory, the midfielder admitted Belgium made Spain work extremely hard for their place in the last four.
"It was a struggle today."
Spain is going to have a big semi-final against France, one of the big favourites for the tournament and a team with a lot of world-class talent.
Merino knows there is another huge challenge.
"It’s going to be a head-to-head battle. That's what semifinals are all about. We’re going to go to France hungry and eager."
"It’s an elite-level game. We’re two teams at the top of our game, so we will do everything we can to get to the final."
Mikel Merino has been Spain’s unexpected match-winner with two decisive goals in consecutive knockout matches. So as La Roja get ready for their big match-up with France on Saturday morning, they will once again have to rely on their late-game hero to make yet another magical moment, and take them one step closer to winning the FIFA World Cup trophy.
