Merino has continued to reward coach Luis de la Fuente's faith in him as he recovered from a stress fracture in his right foot, which kept him on crutches for two months and on the sideline for most of 2026.

CALIFORNIA: Mikel Merino is relishing Spain’s opportunity to advance to the semifinals of the World Cup, although first up is a quarterfinal matchup against Belgium in Inglewood,…

Mikel Merino scored in the 88th minute on a rebound yielded by backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and Spain advanced to the World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 victory