For a second-straight game, Mikel Merino bailed out Spain by producing a winning goal. His 88th minute strike saw Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in Los Angeles on Friday and qualify for the semifinals.
After scoring the goal, Merino produced a unique celebration that caught the attention of people at the stadium and online.
He rushed towards the corner flag and completed a circle around it. He had unfurled the same celebration after scoring the winner against Portugal in the previous round.
This was a tribute to his father, Angel Merino, who was also a professional footballer for Osasuna, and celebrated in the same way after scoring a winning goal for the side.
“Since I look up to my dad so much, I kind of stole it from him,” explained Merino during an interview to Premier League. “It’s my way of honouring him.”
“The story goes that one day, my grandmother was feeling a bit unwell, and my dad had a game that day. He told her, ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to score a goal and dedicate it to you’. It just so happened that he did score. He ran over to the corner flag, and since it was the first thing he saw, he ran around it. That’s how the celebration was born.”
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Published on Jul 11, 2026