The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its business end, with the quarterfinals underway. Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 with a late goal, after the contest was locked at a stalemate following two first-half goals for either side.
It was no surprise then, that the moment of Day 28 of the World Cup was Mikel Merino's 88th-minute winner for the EURO 2024 champions.
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How does he do it? Again, and again, and again?
Two years ago in a European Championships quarterfinal, in the 119th minute, against Germany. Four days ago, in a World Cup round of 16 match, in the 91st minute, against Portugal. Now, in a World Cup quarterfinal, in the 88th minute, against Belgium. Big games, against three big European powerhouses, all decided by last-gasp goals from Mikel Merino.
If it were a goal-hanging poacher who did this, you could plan against it perhaps -- but what do you do about a massive midfielder who simply seems to apparate into the right area at the right time? It's made worse by the fact that his team, Spain, doesn't have a conventional centre-forward. Whether Mikel Oryazabal occupies the #9 spot or Ferran Torres (or at times both), neither are in the box -- spreading out as they wish, stretching defences thin in a bid to create space on the inside, they help Spain crowd midfield and achieve near-total domination of the ball.
Look at their average positions from any match -- and apart from Lamine Yamal on the right, the midfield and forward line will be bunched together in almost inseparable fashion, well outside the opposition box. It's the Luis de la Fuente model, and it's delivered them all their recent success... but it's not without its downsides. Against Belgium for instance, they controlled the tempo and the passing rhythm and everything in between, but Extra Time seemed inevitable until Merino stepped onto the pitch.
If it was Merino's ability to ghost in that was crucial against Portugal, it was his ability to sniff out a chance that ushered Belgium towards the exit.
The chance itself owed its creation to two factors. One, the audacity of Pau Cubarsí. With Spain looking to pass their way into goal, not taking enough shots to trouble anyone, it took the teenaged centre-back from Barcelona to have a crack at goal for sparks to fly. Perhaps Spain had lulled Belgium into thinking that from that far out of the box, no Spaniard would do anything other than pass it square (because that's what they'd been doing for 88 minutes)... but either way it took Senne Lammens in the Belgium goal by a touch of surprise. Lammens being in goal is the second factor: it's never easy for a clearly second-choice goalkeeper to get their first minutes of a tournament mid-match but make it a World Cup quarterfinal and replacing the likes of Thibault Courtois, and the difficulty level goes up several notches.
And so what should have been an easy catch from the Cubarsi hit, which he sent low and skimming one-bounce at goal, became a spill... and Merino, who had made a run into the box, into the always vacant #9 position and been ignored by Pedri (and the Belgium defence, incidentally), was alive to the rebound, sprinting in and poking it past Lammens' desperate lunge.
As the ball bounced in, Merino went to run his customary lap around the corner flag - a tribute to Ángel, his father (who was watching from the stands), who'd celebrated in that fashion years ago. Ángel Merino never played for Spain in his 17-year playing career, and his son almost didn't make it to this one, missing the latter half of last season due to a foot fracture, but here he is. Running laps around the corner flag for Spain, the first substitute to score winners in two knockout games at the World Cup.
The curious thing is, if the scores are level against France in the semifinal to come, all eyes will go to the bench once again. He may wear 6, but everyone will be on the lookout for MM9, Spain's deadliest finisher.