Mikel Merino came off the bench and changed Spain’s night. His two goals secured a 2-1 comeback win against Croatia at Poljud Stadium in Split on 6 October 2026, sending Spain into the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals.
Croatia led through Ivan Perišić, but Merino equalised and then struck again in the 88th minute. Spain finished the opening four-match stretch with four wins and 12 points, while Perišić’s second yellow card left the hosts with ten players for the closing stages.
Croatia vs Spain: the decisive moments
- 17th minute: Perišić gave Croatia the lead.
- 61st minute: Merino brought Spain level.
- 80th minute: Perišić received a second yellow card and was sent off.
- 88th minute: Merino scored the winner.
The Spanish federation’s report describes the decisive goal as a sequence in which Merino controlled the ball, turned and fired into the top corner. It was his second goal of the game and completed a comeback that had required Spain to work through a difficult evening.
Why Merino was the match’s central figure
Our analysis: Merino’s contribution mattered in two different phases. The equaliser removed Croatia’s scoreboard advantage; the winner converted a recovered position into qualification. Those are distinct pressures. Finding a goal when a team is behind requires urgency, while finding the next one requires the confidence to keep creating without losing control.
His impact also illustrates why the bench is important in international football. A substitute enters a match whose rhythm is already established and must quickly understand where the opportunities lie. Merino supplied the finishing actions that altered the result, rather than simply helping Spain hold its existing position.
How did the red card change the closing stages?
Perišić’s dismissal came after the equaliser and before the winning goal. That order matters: Spain had already levelled while Croatia still had eleven players. The red card belongs to the explanation of the final phase, not the entire comeback.
From a tactical perspective, playing with ten can force a team to redistribute defensive responsibilities and leave less support for attacks. It does not guarantee a goal for the opponent. Spain still needed an effective final action, and Merino provided it eight minutes after the dismissal.
What does Spain’s qualification mean?
The victory made Spain the second team to secure a quarter-final place in this Nations League edition, according to UEFA. The four results in this stretch were a 3-2 win away to England, a 4-1 home win over Croatia, a 3-1 home win against Czechia and this 2-1 success in Split.
Readers should distinguish the two Croatia matches: the 4-1 result came on 29 September; the return fixture on 6 October finished Croatia 1, Spain 2. They are separate games, with different stories and different decisive players.
Qualification confirms progress beyond the league phase; it does not by itself settle the next opponent or guarantee the trophy. Spain’s immediate achievement is that its four-win start has already delivered a place in the knockout stage.
The wider Nations League picture
England also won in Group A3 on the same evening, beating Czechia 3-0 as Harry Kane scored twice. Spain’s own campaign will resume with the remaining group fixtures in November.
For the latest international football coverage, read our report on Messi’s final Argentina match and emotional farewell.
Cover: AI-generated football illustration; it does not depict an actual moment from the match.