Borussia Dortmund congratulate former player on winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup concluded on Sunday with Spain beating Argentina in the extra-time of the finals to lift their second title.

Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the game in the 106th minute as La Roja were crowned world champions on the back of an utterly dominant display.

Among those who picked up the winners medal was a former Borussia Dortmund player, Mikel Merino and the club congratulated the star on their official X handle.

Merino came off the bench in the 74th minute, replacing Dani Olmo and played a key role in helping Spain maintain their stronghold on the game.

He demonstrated his aerial prowess by winning three of his five aerial duels while also making one block and one clearance. Most of his passes were in the opposition half too.

However, the Spaniard was deemed offside in the buildup to Nico Williams' goal in the first added minutes of extra-time before firing a header wide from close range.

But Merino managed to salvage himself later by blocking a powerful shot from Lionel Messi with his face as Spain frustrated Argentina with resolute defending.

As the full-time whistle blew, the Spanish team burst into celebrations as they were back to the pinnacle of world football, 16 years on from their first FIFA World Cup title.

Merino played a vital role in the knockout stages for them, scoring the stoppage-time winner against Portugal in the Round of 16 before repeating the trick against Belgium in the next stage of the competition.

Having already won the 2023 UEFA Nations League and Euro 2024 title, Merino now adds the coveted 2026 FIFA World Cup trophy to his ever growing cabinet. But it all began at Borussia Dortmund, where the Spaniard won the 2016-17 DFB Pokal trophy for his first ever silverware.

He joined the Bundesliga side from LaLiga's Osasuna in July 2016 on a five-year deal but first-team opportunities were hard to come by as Merino was limited to only nine appearances in all competitions for the BVB.

The midfielder then joined Newcastle United on loan before making his move permanent, though it was at Real Sociedad where his career finally came to life. After six successful years, Merino joined Arsenal in 2024 and won the Premier League title last season while also reaching the 2026 UEFA Champions League final though he remained an unused substitute in their showpiece clash with PSG.

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