Merino and Lautaro's Shared World Cup Final Challenge

Mikel Merino, an Arsenal player, has acknowledged a shared situation with Lautaro Martinez as they prepare for the World Cup Final. Merino stated that for any player, being a substitute is not the ideal scenario for a game.

Merino's Spanish national team is set to face Lautaro Martinez's Argentina in the World Cup Final. The Spanish midfielder spoke to Gazzetta dello Sport, admitting that both he and Lautaro might not be in the starting lineup.

"For no player is starting on the bench the ideal game plan," Merino remarked.

He continued, "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."

Both players have had a significant impact coming off the bench. Lautaro scored the decisive goal as a substitute in the semi-final against England, while Merino contributed two goals from the bench in Spain's victories against Portugal in the Round of 16 and Belgium in the quarter-finals.

Merino emphasized the team's collective success, stating, "It’s about trying to help out every time you step onto the pitch, and if you don’t play, it’s fine even in training. Because if you win a title, it belongs to everyone, not just the 11 who start the matches, and that’s how we see it here."

Looking ahead to the final, Merino described it as an "intense match, as a final should be, where two teams are playing for the most important trophy in our sport. It’s normal for there to be contact, for there to be fierce duels, because when so much is at stake, that’s how you have to approach it. It will be up to the referee to control the intensity and frequency of the challenges. We like the ball to move quickly, and without pauses, and if we manage that, the opponent will have less time to foul."

Merino also shared his thoughts on Lionel Messi, calling him "one of the best in history" and praising his performance in the World Cup at the age of 39. He reflected on the possibility of it being Messi's last international match, noting that players like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo seem "eternal" due to their sustained high level of play.

He concluded by stating that facing Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, is an "added incentive" and "sensational."

Spain has matched Italy's unbeaten record, remaining undefeated in their last 37 matches across all competitions. A victory against Argentina in the final would surpass the record set by Italy between 2018 and 2021.