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Spain start the 2026 World Cup as one of the favourites to win the competition as La Roja look to claim a second-ever crown following their 2010 victory.
After a lacklustre showing four years ago when they failed to make it out of the group stage in Qatar, a new generation of stars are now well and truly in place and head to North America as the European Champions following their Euro 2024 victory in Germany.
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino is a key part of Luis de la Fuente’s squad and as he prepares to step onto the world’s biggest stage, he is drawing inspiration from the past.
Merino on Spain’s Golden Generation
Merino was 14 when Spain last lifted the World Cup in 2010 – a tournament that understandably left a monumental impression on him.
“You know, I can name that whole squad on the spot: Fernando Torres, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, David Villa, David Silva – so many absolute legends,” he tells FourFourTwo.
“Those were the players that inspired this generation of Spanish players. Following in their footsteps by representing Spain at a World Cup is unreal. It’s just crazy!”
Merino has just added a Premier League winner’s medal to the Euros title he won two summers ago, but he knows lifting the World Cup would be a whole new level of success.
“It would literally be a dream come true,” he adds. “Those moments when you were a kid, watching your idols lifting trophies and wishing to do that yourself.
“Winning the World Cup would make that child inside me happy again.”
Spain’s campaign starts on Monday evening when they face Cape Verde in Atlanta, with matches against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay following in a group in which they are expected to breeze through. But Merino insists nothing will be taken for granted.
“Experience and history has shown that when you get too relaxed in football, anything can happen,” he warns. “So our mentality has been about being very humble, focused and trying to give the best version of ourselves.”
For Mikel Merino, set to be a key man with La Roja in North America, the added pressure is a good thing. “Everyone in the Spain camp is ready to embrace it,” he continues.
“Everyone that faces us does so in the knowledge we’re a top team. Expectation doesn’t take the energy and the focus from us.”
