Mikel Merino: The Rising Star of Spanish Football

PAMPLONA, Spain — Mikel Merino Zazón has taken center stage in European football, scoring crucial goals that have propelled Spain into the semifinals of Euro 2024 and solidified his status as a rising star in the Premier League.

On April 16, 2025, Merino scored a pivotal goal in the dying moments of extra time against Germany, securing Spain’s place in the semifinals of the tournament. His performance has drawn accolades, especially following his recent transfer to Arsenal from Real Sociedad, marking a significant shift in his career.

Arriving in London in August 2024 for a record fee of €33.5 million, Merino quickly adapted to his new environment, scoring eight goals in a variety of competitions — seven with Arsenal and one with the national team. His prowess as a central forward, a position he requested from manager Mikel Arteta, has ignited discussions about his role in the team. “If I’m being honest, my first thought was ‘this is what it takes.’ The first thing is the team and helping in whatever role I have to play,” he said in a recent interview with Movistar.

Merino’s football lineage runs deep; his father, Miguel Merino Torres, was a professional player in the 1980s and 1990s, playing for clubs including Osasuna and Celta de Vigo. Miguel, who later became a coach, has greatly influenced Mikel both personally and professionally. “Thank you for taking care of me throughout my life, for everything you’ve taught me. You are a role model not only in football but also as a father,” Mikel expressed in a Father’s Day tribute on ‘El Desmarque‘.

In a poignant moment during the Euro 2024 match, Mikel honored his father’s legacy by mimicking a celebration his father performed decades earlier at the same Stuttgart stadium. “He always does the celebration, turning around the corner flag to pay respect and dedicate the goals to me because I used to do that when I played,” Miguel said following Mikel’s goal.

The passion for sports runs in the family; Mikel’s mother, Maite Zazón, has a professional background in basketball, and both of his brothers are also athletes — Jon in basketball and Unai in football.

Mikel maintains a low profile regarding his personal life, seldom sharing details about his relationship with wife Lola Liberal, a model he began dating in mid-2019. The couple married on June 1, 2024, in Pamplona, an event that slightly delayed Mikel’s participation in the national team’s preparations. “Thank you for giving me the best gift in the world and making me the happiest woman every day,” Lola posted on social media to mark Mikel’s birthday.

Apart from football, Mikel has pursued a degree in sports technology, expressing his intent to further his education in kinesiology or physiotherapy in the future. “I don’t want to let studies go; you never know what might happen, and I’d like to study something related to sports,” he told ‘Noticias Navarra’ in 2015.

In his leisure time, Mikel enjoys spending time with family and friends, music, and films. “If possible, I like to go on the day of the premiere and spoil the plot for my friends who haven’t seen it yet,” he joked.