David Raya, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi joined an exclusive group after adding the World Cup to Arsenal’s league title.
David Raya, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi find themselves in rare company, having followed up Arsenal’s Premier League triumph by lifting the World Cup with Spain.
Their success completed a rare Premier League and World Cup double in the same calendar year.
Raya, Merino and Zubimendi join just four other players to have achieved the feat: Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit with Arsenal and France in 1998, followed by Manchester City pair Benjamin Mendy in 2018 and Julián Álvarez in 2022.
Both Merino and Zubimendi started the final on the bench but played their part before the night was over.
Merino replaced Dani Olmo in the 75th minute before Zubimendi came on for Rodri in the 99th, helping Spain maintain their control as the match moved into extra time. Raya remained on the bench, with Golden Glove winner Unai Simón completing every minute of Spain’s campaign.
But Merino’s impact on Spain’s campaign went well beyond the final itself.
The Arsenal midfielder came off the bench to score a 91st-minute winner against Portugal in the round of 16, then repeated the trick with an 88th-minute goal against Belgium in the quarter-final.
Those two late goals helped Spain navigate the toughest moments of their run to New Jersey, turning Merino into one of the tournament’s most decisive substitutes.
Zubimendi’s introduction in the final gave Spain fresh legs and composure in midfield as the clock ticked down. Raya, meanwhile, didn’t get a single minute of game time throughout the tournament.
Their success writes a new chapter in Arsenal’s World Cup story.
They are the first Gunners to lift the men’s trophy since Mesut Özil, Per Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski won it with Germany in 2014.
Before this summer, just seven players had come back to Arsenal as World Champions, starting with George Eastham in 1966 and including the likes of Vieira, Petit and Cesc Fàbregas. Now, Raya, Merino and Zubimendi have pushed that number into double figures.
Spain’s triumph was underpinned by a defensive record few could match. Luis de la Fuente’s side conceded just once in eight games and never trailed at any stage of the tournament.
They dominated the final too, finally breaking through with their 20th effort on goal, while Argentina failed to muster a single shot on target.
Just two months after helping Arsenal end a 22-year wait for the Premier League, Raya, Merino and Zubimendi are heading back to north London with yet another winners’ medal in their luggage.
They leave the United States as champions of England and champions of the world.