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Mikel Merino expressed his delight after once again making a decisive impact as a substitute, helping La Roja secure a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals with a 2-1 victory over Belgium in quarterfinal, according to FIFA.
Merino, who also played a key role as a substitute in Spain's previous knockout victory over Portugal, said he was thrilled with his contributions but admitted that repeating such moments would be difficult. "It seems like a coincidence, and if you go in prepared, it can happen again. I'm thrilled. I doubt it will happen again, we'll see," Merino said after his match-winning exploits, as quoted by FIFA. The Spanish midfielder has emerged as an unlikely hero during the knockout stages, providing crucial moments after coming off the bench in consecutive matches. Reflecting on Spain's title hopes, Merino said reaching the final two matches of the tournament would be a dream come true. "Two matches to win a World Cup is a dream come true - hopefully we can achieve it," he added. Coming to the match, Fabian Ruiz, handed a surprise start ahead of Pedri, and substitute Mikel Merino scored for Spain, while Charles De Ketelaere found the net for Belgium in a match that also saw goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois forced off with an injury. Ruiz opened the scoring after Belgian goalkeeper Courtois parried Dani Olmo's effort into his path. Spain continued to threaten through Lamine Yamal, whose lively display earned him the Player of the Match award. Belgium equalised just before halftime when Kevin De Bruyne released Timothy Castagne down the right, and the defender's pinpoint cross was headed home by De Ketelaere, who timed his run perfectly to stay onside. The goal also ended Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon's remarkable run of 560 consecutive World Cup minutes without conceding, surpassing the previous tournament record of 517 minutes set by Italy's Walter Zenga in 1990. Belgium suffered a major setback in the 71st minute when Courtois was forced off with an apparent injury and replaced by Senne Lammens. The substitute goalkeeper was beaten soon after when he failed to hold Pau Cubarsi's long-range effort, allowing Merino, who had only recently entered the game, to pounce on the rebound and score the winner. The victory extended Spain's unbeaten run to 36 matches since their defeat to Colombia, equalling Argentina's unbeaten streak between 2019 and 2022 and leaving them just one game short of Italy's world-record 37-match unbeaten run. Spain will now face France in a highly anticipated semifinal as they continue their bid for another FIFA World Cup title. (ANI)
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