Mikel Merino has gone into history by becoming the first player to score the winning goal in two different knockout matches at the World Cup after coming on from the substitute bench.
Mikel Merino continued to make a major contribution to Spain’s 2-1 victory over Belgium in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal match taking place at SoFi Stadium.
The striker born in 1996 took just 2 minutes after coming off the substitute bench (entering the pitch in the 86th minute) to score the goal that decided the “fate” of the Spain-Belgium match.
Previously, Merino was also the very person who scored in the 90+1st minute to help Spain overcome Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16 after coming on to replace Olmo in the 85th minute.
Merino’s impressive form not only helped Spain reach the semifinals for the first time since 2010 but also wrote his name into World Cup history.
According to Opta, Merino became the first player in World Cup history to score the winning goal in two different knockout matches when coming on from the substitute bench.
With what he has shown, Mikel Merino will surely continue to be trusted and used by manager Luis de la Fuente for the remainder of the tournament.
As for Spain, their next opponent on the journey to conquer the 2026 World Cup throne will be France – the team that overcame Morocco 2-0 in the first quarterfinal match.
According to the match schedule, the France vs Spain match will take place at Dallas stadium on July 14.
