On 25 January of this year, time stood still for Mikel Merino. A stress fracture in his right foot put his season on hold and his place at the in jeopardy.
“That’s the operation done! I’m one step closer to returning,” the midfielder posted on social media a few days later, marking the start of his race to regain full fitness in time for FIFA’s flagship men’s competition.
Merino managed to win that race, returning to action with Arsenal in May and earning a spot in Luis de la Fuente’s squad for the global bonanza set to unfold on North American soil between 11 June and 19 July. The UEFA EURO 2024 winner spoke to FIFA about what lies ahead at the tournament.
Mikel Merino: The first thing that comes to mind is a child; a child with a dream, with stars in their eyes and the TV on, watching the legends of yesteryear playing in the tournament. I’ve been lucky enough to win the European Championship and the Premier League and to play in the Champions League. But as the old saying goes, there’s always bigger fish to fry. And there’s none bigger than playing for your country at the World Cup.
It’s going to feel strange, I think. One the one hand, you’ve got the nerves and the knot in your stomach that comes with making your World Cup debut and knowing how special it is. It’s what every kid dreams of. On the other hand, you’re doing it at the age of 30, which isn’t the same as when you’re 19 or 20, when most players make their World Cup bow. So, you’ve got the experience and maturity to see it as just a game of football, and if you want to enjoy the occasion, then you have to be calm and relaxed. So, let’s see how I handle that balance between those two things.
I was, and a few doubts crept in when I got the news about the injury and how long the recovery would take. I thought I might end up missing out on the tournament. I’m 30, with bags of experience under my belt, and I’ll be 34 when the next one comes along, so I’m very excited to be here with this crop of players. It’s such a strong group and I feel a big part of it because of everything we’ve already accomplished together. To miss out would have been very hard to take. It was tough when they told me the recovery process might take five or six months. Aside from the doubts, I’ve had to work very hard in that time without knowing if I’d reap the rewards, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. It’s exciting to be part of the squad, knowing that if everything goes to plan, I’ll be fulfilling a childhood dream.
Absolutely. There are things in football and life that you don’t truly appreciate until they’re gone. I was scared about how my foot would respond and out of that came the fear I’d miss the World Cup. I’ve learned, though, to be grateful for every small step forward, every experience, and it felt so good to get back to training with my team-mates again, just being able to smell the grass. You learn things from experiences like that and whenever I walk onto a pitch now, I’m very grateful just to be there.
It’s true that teams didn’t see us as one of the favourites for the EURO or as a side to be feared, but thanks to what we achieved in that competition and what we’ve done since, I think people now see us as real trophy contenders. Before that was the case, the good thing was that teams maybe weren’t as motivated when they faced us or didn’t do so much homework on us. We had a lot of confidence in ourselves though. Now that everyone sees us as being among the tournament favourites, we should draw confidence and energy from it and make sure we don’t get complacent. If that’s how everyone sees us, then it’s because we’ve earned it and we should believe in ourselves. We shouldn’t be overconfident, though, or feel that we’re automatically better than anyone else. Any side can beat you on their day, but it should fuel our self-belief. If we play our best football, we can beat anyone.
We’re very well prepared. We’ve got that blend of youth, energy and desire to win trophies. Then there’s the fact that we’re European champions, we won the Nations League before that, and we’ve brought in players who’ve spent time with us in the U-21s and younger age groups and whom the coaching staff know very well. Combining those elements is key. And the most important thing is our day-to-day routine, the communication between all the players, how well we get on, and the family atmosphere that we’ve fostered in the dressing room. Having all those things come together is a great recipe for success, but you still need the little things to go your way and get it right when the pressure’s on. We’re ready for the challenge, though.
We’ve got some great players. When it comes to individual talent, we’re up there with the best, but our biggest strength is the collective, the family we’ve become, the fact that we play as a team and support each other through tough times at long tournaments. If there’s one thing that has done really well, and I’ve known him since my time in Spain’s youth ranks when I was only 18, it’s that he always picks good people. He puts the team before himself, and that’s how you create a sense of unity rather than a set of individuals. It gives you real peace of mind knowing that the guy next to you is a team player. You can feel it when we get together: 15 players playing cards and video games together, and the atmosphere and everyone supporting each other at every training session.
Sources: FIFA Official
