Mikel Merino: Spain can beat anyone at World Cup 2026

On 25 January 2026, time stood still for Mikel Merino. A stress fracture in his right foot put his season on hold and threatened his place at the FIFA World Cup 2026. “That’s the operation done! I’m one step closer to returning,” the midfielder posted on social media a few days later, marking the start of his race to regain full fitness in time for the tournament.

Merino won that race, returning to action with Arsenal in May and earning a spot in Luis de la Fuente’s Spain squad for the World Cup, which will be held across North America from 11 June to 19 July. The UEFA EURO 2024 winner spoke to FIFA about his journey back and what lies ahead.

Childhood dream meets maturity

“The first thing that comes to mind is a child; a child with a dream, with stars in their eyes and the TV on, watching the legends of yesteryear playing in the tournament,” Merino said. “I’ve been lucky enough to win the European Championship and the Premier League and to play in the Champions League. But as the old saying goes, there’s always bigger fish to fry. And there’s none bigger than playing for your country at the World Cup.”

Merino acknowledged the unique challenge of making his World Cup debut at age 30. “It’s going to feel strange, I think. On the one hand, you’ve got the nerves and the knot in your stomach that comes with making your World Cup debut and knowing how special it is. It’s what every kid dreams of. On the other hand, you’re doing it at the age of 30, which isn’t the same as when you’re 19 or 20, when most players make their World Cup bow. So, you’ve got the experience and maturity to see it as just a game of football, and if you want to enjoy the occasion, then you have to be calm and relaxed. So, let’s see how I handle that balance between those two things.”

Injury ordeal and recovery

The injury cast doubt on his participation. “I was, and a few doubts crept in when I got the news about the injury and how long the recovery would take. I thought I might end up missing out on the tournament,” Merino said. “I’m 30, with bags of experience under my belt, and I’ll be 34 when the next one comes along, so I’m very excited to be here with this crop of players. It’s such a strong group and I feel a big part of it because of everything we’ve already accomplished together. To miss out would have been very hard to take.”

He described the grueling recovery process. “It was tough when they told me the recovery process might take five or six months. Aside from the doubts, I’ve had to work very hard in that time without knowing if I’d reap the rewards, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. It’s exciting to be part of the squad, knowing that if everything goes to plan, I’ll be fulfilling a childhood dream.”

The experience gave him a new perspective. “Absolutely. There are things in football and life that you don’t truly appreciate until they’re gone. I was scared about how my foot would respond and out of that came the fear I’d miss the World Cup. I’ve learned, though, to be grateful for every small step forward, every experience, and it felt so good to get back to training with my team-mates again, just being able to smell the grass. You learn things from experiences like that and whenever I walk onto a pitch now, I’m very grateful just to be there.”

Spain as tournament favorites

Spain enter the World Cup as one of the favorites, a status Merino believes is earned. “It’s true that teams didn’t see us as one of the favourites for the EURO or as a side to be feared, but thanks to what we achieved in that competition and what we’ve done since, I think people now see us as real trophy contenders. Before that was the case, the good thing was that teams maybe weren’t as motivated when they faced us or didn’t do so much homework on us. We had a lot of confidence in ourselves though. Now that everyone sees us as being among the tournament favourites, we should draw confidence and energy from it and make sure we don’t get complacent. If that’s how everyone sees us, then it’s because we’ve earned it and we should believe in ourselves. We shouldn’t be overconfident, though, or feel that we’re automatically better than anyone else.”