The three Spain internationals will return to north London with World Cup winner's medals after Spain beat Argentina in the final at the New Jersey New York Stadium
10:09, 20 Jul 2026Updated 10:11, 20 Jul 2026
Mikel Merino, David Raya and Martin Zubimendi will all return to Arsenal with World Cup medals - the perfect boost ahead of the new 2026/27 season. Spain beat 10‑man Argentina 1‑0 in extra time, with Ferran Torres scoring the winner after Enzo Fernandez was sent off.
The Arsenal trio have achieved a rare double, as only four players have previously won the Premier League and the World Cup in the same year. The first two to do it were Arsenal legends Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit with France in 1998.
Merino, Raya and Zubimendi now join that exclusive group, adding World Cup glory to their Euro 2024 triumph and Arsenal's long‑awaited Premier League title win.
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Merino has been a super‑sub for Luis de la Fuente, coming off the bench to score late winners against Portugal in the last 16 and Belgium in the quarter‑finals. Raya operated as back‑up to Unai Simon, while Zubimendi made his first appearance of the tournament when he replaced Rodri in the 99th minute.
Spain dominated Argentina for most of the clash, registering 11 shots on target to Argentina's none in the 90 minutes. Lionel Messi was kept quiet by La Roja, and it was Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez who kept Argentina alive, producing saves from Ferran Torres, Aymeric Laporte and several others as the pressure mounted.
Argentina sank even deeper after being reduced to 10 men. Fernandez was booked midway through the first half for dissent, before receiving a second yellow for a reckless challenge on Pau Cubarsi just minutes before the final whistle.
Cubarsi reached the ball first, but Fernandez still followed through, sending the 25‑year‑old flying with the challenge. Spain's winner arrived in the 106th minute, when Torres powered his shot past a helpless Martinez to seal their second World Cup title.
However, Spain's win was overshadowed by ugly scenes at the final whistle, with punches flying. Leandro Paredes saw red after full‑time, kicking Eric Garcia to the ground and appearing to place a hand around the defender's throat during a heated confrontation before then pushing Gavi. Molina was also caught on camera appearing to throw a punch amid the chaos.
Speaking about the incident, Wayne Rooney said: "Does is surprise you? It doesn't surprise me, I think we've seen this with Argentina before and it's just not the reaction you want.
"We've seen some of the reaction after knocking England out in the last round as well. I think Enzo Fernandez has got what he deserves as well, so it's disappointing - that's just sad.
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"If you lose a game of football, be graceful and get out of there. It's very poor from them."
As Lionel Messi didn't get on the scoresheet, France's Kylian Mbappe won the race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot, finishing the tournament with 10 goals after a stellar campaign. He ended two clear of Messi, who scored eight.
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