Who is Mikel Merino? Meet Spain sub that came on late vs. Belgium and willed La Roja into semifinals

Who is Mikel Merino? Meet Spain sub that came on late vs. Belgium and willed La Roja into semifinals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Spain has done it again, as La Roja escaped another close game late with a goal in the final minutes to advance to the semifinal.

The Spanish have used an outstanding defense to get to this point, but they still needed goals to win the game. Enter Mikel Merino, who has become a legend for Spain as instant offense off the bench in the last two rounds.

Merino now has two goals in the last two games, both of which were game-winners late in the match. Merino doesn't even play most of the match, but when he does play, he provides fresh offense to complement Spain's defense.

Get to know Mikel Merino, who scored a second game-winning goal, this time vs. Belgium in the quarterfinals.

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Who is Mikel Merino?

Mikel Merino is a 30-year-old midfielder and striker who comes off the bench for Spain during this World Cup. Merino has spent the past two seasons playing for Arsenal, as he has 11 goals in 50 matches while starting just 27 games for the club.

Merino did not score at all in the group stage or in the Round of 32, but came off the bench against Portugal to score a crucial deciding goal. Then, in a similar situation vs. Belgium, Merino did the same thing and scored a game-winning goal to advance to the semifinals.

MORE: Rating each player in Spain vs. Belgium

Mikel Merino game-winning goal vs. Belgium

Merino's game-winning goal came on a broken play, as backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens couldn't corral a shot, allowing Merino to clean it up for the score.

SPAIN TAKES THE LATE LEAD IN CHAOTIC FASHION 🤯

Mikel Merino is the super sub once again for La Roja! pic.twitter.com/oXE2gDVa14

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) July 10, 2026

Why does Mikel Merino come off the bench?

Merino comes off the bench to give Spain late offense in close games. Spain's defense has been suffocating this tournament, and Merino subs into the game with fresh legs and an understanding of how the game is being played to that point.

Manager Luis de la Fuente explained that Merino helped decide when to enter the game vs. Portugal.

🚨🗣️🇪🇸 Luis de la Fuente on Mikel Merino.

"Around the 50th minute, I wanted to bring Mikel on. He looked at me, smiled, and said, 'Coach, not yet. I'm still studying their defenders. They'll switch off late.'

By the 85th minute, time was running out and we needed a goal. He… pic.twitter.com/Lk9K27SIN4

— Declan (@declanstar1) July 7, 2026

Merino entered the match vs. Portugal at the 85th minute, and he came into the match vs. Belgium at the 86th minute. In both cases, the strategy paid off as Merino scored the winning goals.

MORE: Charles De Ketelaere breaks Spain's historic goalless streak

What club does Mikel Merino play for?

Merino has played for Arsenal over the past two seasons, appearing in 50 matches for the Premier League club. Prior to Arsenal, Merino spent five seasons in his home country of Spain playing for Real Sociedad of La Liga.

In his career, Merino also has appearances for Osasuna, Dortmund and Newcastle.