**Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino netted a hat-trick for Spain as they thrashed Turkey 6-0 in a World Cup qualifier.**
The Spaniard continued his outstanding form for his country, [having also scored in last week’s 3-0 win over Bulgaria](https://hayters.com/odegaard-plays-45-minutes-for-norway-arsenal-internationals-round-up/).
Merino scored his side’s second of the game with a composed first-time finish.
He then added a third for his side with another first-time finish, firing low past goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.
And he rounded off a memorable hat-trick with a stunning, curling strike from outside of the penalty area.
The 29-year-old has now scored six goals in six games for Spain in 2025, having netted just twice in his first 31 caps.
He also featured alongside his club team-mate Martin Zubimendi again, who played 73 minutes of the clash before being taken off.
Elsewhere, Gunners defender Jurrien Timber played around half an hour for the Netherlands as a substitute, as they picked up a nervy 3-2 win over Lithuania.
Leandro Trossard, meanwhile, played just over an hour for Belgium as they thumped Kazakhstan 6-0, in what was his first start of the season.