{"id":1771,"date":"2026-06-15T13:48:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T05:48:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/?p=1771"},"modified":"2026-06-15T13:48:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T05:48:46","slug":"we-know-what-we-are-capable-of-mikel-merino-talks-up-spains-world-cup-ambitions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/15\/we-know-what-we-are-capable-of-mikel-merino-talks-up-spains-world-cup-ambitions\/","title":{"rendered":"‘We know what we are capable of’: Mikel Merino talks up Spain’s World Cup ambitions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Arsenal midfielder addressed the “high expectations” surrounding Luis de la Fuente’s side ahead of their clash with Cape Verde: “The priority is to focus on ourselves.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spain midfielder Mikel Merino has declared that the squad are fueled by “high expectations” and supreme self-belief as they prepare to launch their 2026 World Cup campaign against Cape Verde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now fully recovered from injury and back to full match fitness, the Arsenal midfielder\u2014fresh from winning the Premier League and reaching the Champions League final this season\u2014is counting down the hours to Spain’s opening fixture in Atlanta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in the mixed zone, Merino urged his teammates to maintain focus. \u201cThe key is focusing on ourselves and executing our game plan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to approach this with the right attitude. Starting on the front foot is crucial in a tournament like this, even if it doesn’t define the whole campaign. Our expectations are high because we know our quality, but Cape Verde will make life very difficult for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCape Verde have been on a strong run against top-tier opposition, and you cannot afford to switch off against anyone in this tournament,\u201d Merino warned. \u201cThey are a brave side who want to play football and take the game to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was, however, quick to point out why Spain remain among the favourites for the trophy.\u201cIt comes down to our self-belief,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe\u2019ve proven ourselves consistently in the Euros and the Nations League. We have an outstanding squad, and in tournaments like this, that unity is what sets you apart. We trust one another implicitly, and that is the difference-maker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone is highly motivated. Physically, our preparation has been excellent, but at this level, mental resilience is just as important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dMerino also dismissed any talk of a selection headache in goal, despite intense media debate over who should start out of Unai Simon\u2014the expected number one\u2014David Raya, and Joan Garc\u00eda.\u201cWe don\u2019t really discuss it,\u201d Merino insisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhoever plays, the goal is in safe hands. We\u2019ve been hearing the debate for months, but we are completely relaxed about it. All three are exceptional goalkeepers, and it\u2019s up to the manager to make the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dKnown for his versatility, Merino has occasionally deputised as an emergency forward for both club and country. \u201cI work hard on my heading and always try to improve,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver the last two years at Arsenal, I\u2019ve focused on that side of my game in case the manager needs me to step up front. I don\u2019t train specifically as a striker here, but I do work on finishing. Ultimately, though, I\u2019m most comfortable in midfield.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Arsenal midfielder addressed the “high expectations” surrounding Luis de la Fuente’s side ahead of their clash with<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1771"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1773,"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771\/revisions\/1773"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mktynews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}