Spain had a fantastic international break, with Arsenal stars Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi both impressing.
La Roja kicked this break off with a 2-0 win over Georgia, and they followed that up with a 4-0 hammering of Bulgaria on Tuesday night.
Zubimendi was excellent for Spain, but the real star of the show was Merino, who got a 10/10 rating for his performance against Bulgaria.
Now, his manager has heaped praise on him.
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente says Mikel Merino is on Pedri and Rodri’s level
Mikel Merino had a phenomenal game against Bulgaria on Tuesday night.
The Arsenal midfielder scored two brilliant goals and also won a penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal converted in second-half stoppage time.
He was arguably the best player on the pitch, which also included his Gunners teammate Martin Zubimendi and Barcelona superstar Pedri.
After the game, Luis de la Fuente heaped praise on Merino and went on to claim that he is on the same level as Pedri and former Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.
He said, as per the Metro: “He is an exceptionally complete player with great adaptability. There are few players as versatile as him, and it is a privilege to have him with us.
“He reads opponents and situations superbly. He is a fantastic footballer, on the same level as Pedri, Oyarzabal, Rodri… we have an outstanding squad.”
Mikel Merino proves once again that he is not a defensive midfielder
After Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City in the Premier League this season, many pundits were of the opinion that Mikel Arteta had the handbrake on because he started Merino.
Some even claimed that the Arsenal star was a defensive midfielder.
If you look at Merino’s stats since the turn of the year, that narrative goes out of the window as the former Real Sociedad man has scored 15 goals for club and country in 2025.
Furthermore, he has managed more goals than anyone else apart from Erling Haaland and Memphis Depay in World Cup qualifiers this year.
Merino is a phenomenal player. Pundits who claim that he is a defensive midfielder are all looking really silly now.
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