Mikel Merino has done it once more. The Spain midfielder came off the bench and scored a late winner to help Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinal of the FIFA World Cup 2026, played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Friday. This win sends Spain into the semifinal, where they will now face France.
A Bench Player With Big Goals
Merino was brought on in the 86th minute of the match against Belgium. He needed only two minutes to change the game. In the 88th minute, Pau Cubarsi hit a long shot that Belgium’s substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens could not hold onto. Merino was the fastest player to react, and he tapped the loose ball into the net from close range.
This was not the first time Merino had done this at this World Cup. Just days earlier, in the Round of 16 match against Portugal, Merino was also sent on as a substitute. He scored the only goal of the game in stoppage time, in the 91st minute, to send Spain through to the quarterfinal and end Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career.
These two goals have given Merino a special place in World Cup history. He is now the first player ever to score the winning goal as a substitute in two different knockout matches at one single World Cup. He has also become the first Spain player to score two match-winning goals from the 80th minute or later at a FIFA World Cup.
Merino’s Role In Spain’s World Cup 2026 Campaign
What makes Merino’s story even more interesting is his role in the team. He has played in all six of Spain’s matches so far at this World Cup, but he has started only one of them. His lone start of the tournament came against Uruguay on June 26 at the Estadio Akron in Zapopan, where he played 60 minutes before being taken off.
Apart from that one start, Merino has come on as a substitute five times. Even though he mostly plays a short amount of time in each match, he keeps finding ways to score big goals late in games. This has made him one of the most talked-about players of this World Cup, even without being a regular starter.
The match against Belgium had plenty of drama before Merino’s winner. Spain took the lead in the 30th minute when Fabian Ruiz scored after Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could only push away a shot from Dani Olmo. That move had started when Lamine Yamal and Pedro Porro combined well in attack. Belgium did not give up easily. Just before halftime, in the 41st minute, Charles De Ketelaere headed home a cross from Timothy Castagne to level the score at 1-1.
That goal also brought an end to two long streaks for Spain. It stopped their run of six straight clean sheets at this World Cup, and it ended goalkeeper Unai Simon’s streak of 650 minutes without conceding a goal at the tournament. Belgium also had a rough moment in the second half. In the 71st minute, their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had to leave the field due to injury. This was his 21st World Cup appearance, which places him second only to Germany’s Manuel Neuer for most World Cup games played by a goalkeeper.
Despite Belgium’s fight, Merino’s late strike settled things in Spain’s favor. The win means Spain has reached its first World Cup semifinal since they won the trophy in South Africa back in 2010. It also stretched Spain’s unbeaten run in regular time to 36 matches, a streak that goes back to a friendly loss against Colombia in 2024.
Merino’s International Career And Records
Mikel Merino made his senior debut for Spain in September 2020. Since then, he has grown into a trusted player for coach Luis de la Fuente, even when he is not always in the starting lineup. His World Cup 2026 goal against Portugal was actually his first-ever World Cup goal, and it also took his international goal tally to 11 for the national team. After his second goal against Belgium, that number has now grown to 12.transfermarkt+1
Merino has represented Spain at many age levels before reaching the senior squad, including the U19, U21, and U23 teams, and he even played at the Tokyo Olympics with the Spain Olympic team. At senior level, he has also featured in European Championship qualifiers, the Nations League, and Euro 2024.goal+1
Here is a look at his major international numbers based on recent seasons:
As the table shows, Merino was mostly known as a passer and a helper for his teammates in past tournaments, picking up assists more often than goals. But at the World Cup in 2026, he has flipped that trend and become a goal-scoring hero from the bench.
Merino’s Club Career And Stats
Away from international football, Merino has built a strong club career too. He started his senior journey with Osasuna before a loan spell at Newcastle United helped him get more experience in England. He then joined Real Sociedad in 2018, where he spent six seasons and became a key player in midfield. In the summer of 2024, he moved to Arsenal, where he plays now.
Here is a simple table showing his club career numbers across his major clubs:
| Club | Years | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Real Sociedad | 2018-2024 | 242 | 27 | 26 |
| Arsenal | 2024-Present | 74 | 12 | 6 |
| Top 5 European Leagues (Career Total) | — | 272 | 32 | 28 |
At Real Sociedad, Merino was named Player of the Match when the club won the Copa del Rey in 2020. This early success helped build his reputation as a player who shows up in big moments, something that fans of Spanish football have known for years even before his World Cup heroics.
Since joining Arsenal, Merino has settled in well in the Premier League, playing across midfield roles for the club. His time in England has added to his all-round game, mixing physical strength with smart passing and good movement in the box, all traits that were clearly seen in his two late winners at the World Cup 2026.
What stands out most about Merino’s World Cup 2026 story is how he keeps making an impact without needing a full 90 minutes on the field. Coming on late and scoring winning goals twice in a row against strong teams like Portugal and Belgium is a rare feat in football history. Spain now moves on to face France in the semifinal, carrying the momentum of Merino’s clutch performances and a long unbeaten run behind them.
