Why isn’t Mikel Merino starting for Spain against Belgium at the 2026 World Cup?

Spain face Belgium in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium, and manager Luis de la Fuente has opted to keep Mikel Merino out of his starting eleven for the occasion.

De la Fuente is set to send out Rodri and Fabian Ruiz in central midfield, behind an attacking line of Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Alex Baena, supporting Mikel Oyarzabal up top.

That setup leaves no room in the XI for Merino, who has spent the majority of this tournament coming off the bench rather than starting, with the exception of Spain‘s third group-stage match against Uruguay.

The decision is purely tactical rather than any reflection of Merino’s form, which has been outstanding in limited minutes. De la Fuente has simply preferred to stick with the same core group that has carried Spain through the knockout rounds, using Merino as an impact option late in matches rather than disrupting the starting shape.

Merino’s five-minute heroics against Portugal

Merino’s role off the bench has already produced one of the biggest moments of Spain’s tournament. Brought on late in the Round of 16 clash against Portugal, the Arsenal midfielder needed only around five minutes on the pitch to make his mark.

At first, he won a quick free-kick that kickstarted the winning move before being played through by fellow substitute Ferran Torres and slotting home in stoppage time to seal a 1-0 win, eliminating Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal from the tournament.