Mikel Merino has a habit of showing up at exactly the right moment. The Spain midfielder scored a late goal on July 10, 2026, to give his side a 2-1 victory over Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals, sending La Roja into a semifinal showdown with France.
The midfielder has now netted decisive stoppage-time goals in consecutive knockout rounds.
How Spain got past Belgium
Spain now face France in the semifinals, a fixture between two of Europe’s most decorated football nations, meeting at a World Cup hosted across North America in 2026, with a place in the final on the line.
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