Mikel Merino celebrates with Declan Rice after scoring Arsenal's third goal against Real Madrid in the Champions League in April 2025.
Mikel Merino wants to face off against his club team-mates
There are few better ways to foster team spirit than by winning a league title.
It’s therefore no coincidence that the scenes which followed Arsenal’s 2025/26 Premier League title win saw the Gunners squad celebrate in union, first at the club’s training ground when they watched Manchester City drop the points which handed Arsenal the title, and again when Mikel Arteta and his team were handed the trophy at the end of that week.
The nature of Arsenal’s title win, coming after three consecutive second-place finishes, appeared to make this bond even stronger, which will in turn throw up some interesting potential dynamics at the upcoming World Cup.
Merino on facing his Arsenal team-mates at the World Cup
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Mikel Merino’s Spain side will head to North America as the current European champions and will be one of the favourites to to lift the World Cup trophy in July.
Spain defeated England in the final at Euro 2024 and should the two sides both win their groups at the World Cup, they would not meet again until the final.
Mikel Merino celebrates after scoring Spain's winning goal against Germany in the quarter-final of Euro 2024
Merino's Spain head to the World Cup as European champions
For Merino, a potential rematch of that final two years ago would offer up a mouthwatering showdown against one of the club team-mates he has just celebrated the title with.
“Declan Rice is just amazing,” Merino tells FourFourTwo. “He’s shown that all his life. He’s a beast.
“He’s been playing at the highest level season after season, playing every single game.
“The engine this guy has is just unbelievable. How he runs, how he supports his team-mates physically.
“He’s a big leader as well. He’s massive for Arsenal and for England.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice celebrate aft the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park
Rice was a key part of Arsenal's title-winning jigsaw
And it’s not just the Three Lions midfielder that Merino would like to face off against this summer.
“It would be the same feeling if I’m lucky enough to face Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz or any of my other Arsenal team-mates.
“Facing these guys, if we get the chance, is going to be great. I love it, to be honest. I love to compete against the best.”