Mikel Merino has broken his silence after helping Spain win the World Cup, revealing what he and his teammates believed before the final against Argentina.
The Arsenal midfielder played an important role in Spain’s triumph, scoring crucial goals during the knockout stages as his country added the World Cup to the Euro 2024 title they won two years earlier. His performances throughout the tournament underlined his importance to the national team.
Merino reflects on Spain’s victory
Merino has enjoyed an outstanding period for both club and country, and Arsenal will hope his confidence carries into the new season. Becoming a world champion is another major milestone in his career and could provide an extra boost ahead of the campaign.
Spain defeated Argentina in the final after the South Americans had eliminated England in the semi-final. Argentina were aiming to retain the trophy, but Spain produced a performance that proved too strong for their opponents.
The Spaniards created enough opportunities to settle the contest before extra time, but Emiliano Martinez produced several important saves to keep Argentina in the match. Despite those moments, Merino believed Spain had the quality to come out on top.
Merino explains Spain’s confidence
According to Sky Sports, Merino said: “It was a game about concentration. We knew we were a better team in terms of football.
“The pitch was dry, it was a difficult game because they are a very, very competitive side and they know how to make the game difficult for you.
“I think the team was outstanding today and we deserve it.
“When you are facing a low block and you have a team that is defending in your own box, you have to attack the box with bodies on the line and then control the transitions.
“We have very good players that can cross the ball, big threats in the box and the old school way of scoring goals and we did it.”
Merino’s comments reflect the confidence within the Spain squad throughout the final. The midfielder credited his team’s concentration, attacking quality and collective performance as the key factors behind their World Cup success and another memorable achievement for Spanish football.
