Mikel Merino had a very difficult 2025/26 campaign.

In the first five months of the season, the Spain international looked very good, scoring six goals and providing three assists in all competitions. But everything changed in January.

Merino suffered a serious foot injury that doctors feared would rule him out for the remainder of the season. They even felt he would miss the World Cup.

Mikel Merino says he ‘argued with Mikel Arteta for a week’ after Arsenal clinched the Premier League

When Mikel Merino arrived for his diagnosis, the doctors told him he would be out for six months.

That meant he would not be back until July, which would’ve ended his season with Arsenal as well as ruled him out of Spain’s World Cup squad.

Merino was heartbroken at that point, but that lit a fire inside him to prove the doctors wrong and return a lot sooner than they expected.

The midfielder worked hard on his recovery behind the scenes, did everything he had to do to the best of his ability and got himself prepared before the season even ended.

Arsenal had already clinched the Premier League by that point, and they just had the final game of the campaign left to be played.

Mikel Arteta and the medical staff at the club were not prepared to rush Merino back to feature in that game, but the Spaniard did not take no for an answer. He has revealed that he argued for a week and finally convinced those involved.

He wrote in The Players’ Tribune: “I spent all week arguing with the boss and the physios. The plan was for me to return for the Champions League final, and even that was risky.

“But I had to show Luis (de la Fuente, Spain manager) that I was ready. Finally, they agreed to give me half an hour against Palace.

“The weird part was that I felt like a rookie, like I had to relearn how to play football. The other guys were so relaxed now that the title was won, but when I came on, I was a wreck. The ball went so fast I could barely see it. I was exhausted.”

Merino’s persistence paid off as just a few days later, De la Fuente named him in the Spanish national squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

The Arsenal man played his part, scoring crucial goals against Portugal and Belgium in the knockout stages. Merino even almost lost an eye in the final because of Lionel Messi’s shot to his face.

All the sacrifice was worth it in the end, as Spain ended up winning the World Cup.