Mikel Merino has done it again — and again. The Arsenal midfielder became the first player in World Cup history to score winning goals in separate knockout matches as a substitute, completing an extraordinary tournament cameo that has single-handedly dragged Spain into the semi-finals.

Coming off the bench in the 86th minute against Belgium, Merino needed just 117 seconds to settle the quarter-final, pouncing on a mistake by goalkeeper Senne Lammens two minutes from time to make it 2-1 and send Spain through.

Only four days earlier, he had shattered Portugal's dreams — and brought an end to Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup — with a brilliantly-taken finish deep into the knockout round. Across both matches, he was on the pitch for a combined total of just nine minutes plus stoppage time. He did not need any more.

From mobility scooter to semi-final hero

The fact that Merino is even at the tournament is a story of remarkable resilience. The 30-year-old suffered a stress fracture of his foot with Arsenal in January and later revealed the injury had left him unable to walk for two months, requiring a mobility scooter to get around. He returned to training in May, barely six weeks before the tournament began.