The title of “Golden Super-Sub” undoubtedly belongs to Mikel Merino when it comes to the Spain national team. He has consistently proven to be Luis de la Fuente’s ultimate savior in high-stakes knockout matches, bridging his heroic legacy from Euro 2024 to the 2026 World Cup.
The legendary tale began when the Arsenal star came off the bench against Germany in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals in Stuttgart. In the 119th minute, Merino scored a dramatic, unforgettable header that propelled La Roja into the semifinals.
Two years later, at the 2026 World Cup, De Fuente turned to Merino once again during Spain’s Round of 16 clash against Portugal. True to form, the midfielder delivered by scoring a 90th-minute winner to sink Cristiano Ronaldo’s side.
History repeated itself at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. With Spain and Belgium locked in a 1-1 deadlock, De la Fuente unleashed Merino to exploit his elite goalscoring instincts from midfield. The Spaniard capitalised on a catastrophic blunder by Belgium’s young goalkeeper Lammens, turning the ball home in the 87th minute to secure Spain’s victory.
Scoring goals and crashing the penalty box like a traditional striker is nothing new for Merino. His club manager, Mikel Arteta, has frequently deployed him in advanced attacking roles during injury crises at Arsenal. Time and again, the Spanish international has validated his manager’s trust, proving to be one of the most effective box-crashing midfielders in modern football.
In total, Mikel Merino has earned 49 international caps for Spain, netting 12 goals. Meanwhile, since his move to Arsenal in the summer of 2024, he has scored 15 goals in 78 appearances across all competitions.
