Mikel Merino has revealed the shared frustration—and pride—he and Lautaro Martinez carry into the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, with both superstars likely to start on the bench.
The Arsenal midfielder, who has been a game-changer for Spain, sees plenty of common ground with Inter Milan’s Lautaro, who has done the same for Argentina.
“For no player is starting on the bench the ideal game plan,” Merino told Gazzetta dello Sport. “However, both Lautaro and I, as top players, find ourselves in this situation because we are part of incredibly strong national teams. And both he and I must value all of this: the level of our teammates and the magnitude of the competition.”
Super-sub impact on the road to the final
The numbers back up Merino’s sentiment. The Spaniard scored two match-winning goals as a substitute during the knockout stage—delivering a late winner against Portugal in the round of 16 and repeating the trick against Belgium in the quarter-finals. On the other side, Lautaro emerged from the bench to fire Argentina past England with the decisive semi-final goal, underlining his reputation as a clutch finisher.
Spain have been miserly in defence, conceding just once in the entire tournament—a Charles De Ketelaere strike for Belgium that proved little more than a consolation.
A tactical chess match in New Jersey
Sunday’s showdown at MetLife Stadium will pit two of the deepest squads in international football against each other. While coaches Luis de la Fuente and Lionel Scaloni have settled on preferred starting XIs, the impact of players like Merino and Lautaro from the bench could prove decisive.
Merino’s comments stress the mental resilience required to stay ready when your name is not called from the start—a quality both he and Lautaro have displayed throughout the tournament.
The World Cup final kicks off on Sunday, July 19, with global bragging rights on the line. Whether it’s from the first minute or the 70th, expect both Merino and Lautaro to leave their mark.
