Mikel Merino has helped propel Spain into the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since the European nation won the global tournament in 2010.
The 30-year-old Spanish professional footballer scored a late goal on Monday to send Spain past Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16.
With the game looking like it was headed to extra time in Arlington, Texas, Ferran Torres‘ through ball led Merino into the penalty area, and he sent a shot past Diogo Costa for the winner as Spain topped their neighbors on the Iberian Peninsula.
Merino had just been knocked down, and a foul was called. While a Portugal player argued, Merino played the ball back in, ran toward the goal and put a shot past goalkeeper Costa after taking a pass from Torres.
There were some anxious moments down the stretch for Luis de la Fuente‘s side as Portugal twice came close to levelling the score, but the 2024 European Champions clung to their lead to eliminate Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, who said Monday that this will be his last World Cup.
“Mikel Merino never lets you down. He’s a sure thing. He won us the Euros,” de la Fuente said after the game. “He’s a huge player — one of the best in the world in his position. We’re lucky to have players on the bench who would be starters in any other national team. The important thing is the attitude when they come on, and in the day to day.
“All I ask is for people to be fair in their recognition. Mikel Merino is a player with exceptional performance. He’s a player who is always where he needs to be.”
Spain will battle Belgium in the quarterfinals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
“You remember everything, all the good, all the bad, what you’ve got back at home,” Merino said after the game. “There’ve been very difficult moments for me this year, but good ones as well. With the injury, all this time that I haven’t been able to see my little one [newborn baby] grow up.
“I use it to get the best of myself.”
It was the sixth consecutive clean sheet for Spain at the World Cup, a tournament record, and goalkeeper Unai Simón extended his record shutout streak to 609 minutes.
Spain broke a tie with Italy (1990) and Switzerland (2006-10) for the most consecutive World Cup matches not allowing a goal. Spain’s streak began with a 0-0 draw in the round of 16 in 2022, when Morocco advanced after a penalty shootout.
There was also a surprising scoreless draw against Cape Verde to open group play in this tournament, followed by four consecutive shutout victories to advance to the quarterfinals.
Simón surpassed the previous record of 517 consecutive scoreless minutes during a 3-0 blanking of Austria to open the knockout round Thursday. Famed Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga set the standard in 1990 with five consecutive clean sheets in his home World Cup.
Simón’s shutout streak started in 2022 in Qatar during a 2-1 loss to Japan to wrap up group play.
He came into the Portugal game having made only four saves in this World Cup – Austria had no shots on target – and on Monday, Simón had to make two saves in the first half against Portugal.
The second of those saves was an impressive diving stop, when he was still in midair after reaching back to grab the ball with both hands. Ronaldo took that shot after teammate José Sá’s header went off the shoulder of the 29-year-old Athletic Bilbao keeper.