David Raya Jokes with Mikel Merino Following Spain’s World Cup Victory
Mikel Merino on Instagram
After scoring winning goals in the World Cup round-of-16 and quarter-finals, Mikel Merino made another positive substitute appearance for Spain in their final win over Argentina on Sunday.
The Arsenal midfielder created numerous challenges for Argentina and came close to scoring the winner with a header that narrowly missed as the goalkeeper was left stranded. At the other end, he blocked a shot from Lionel Messi with his face.
With Spain winning 1-0, Merino celebrated with the trophy on the pitch, despite already having noticeable swelling around his right eye.
Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images
Upon returning to the dressing room, Merino displayed a complete black eye on social media, sharing a photo of himself holding a cold drink against his face for relief.
Teammate David Raya didn’t hold back in his response, commenting on the Instagram post with a picture of Spongebob Squarepants also sporting a black eye.
David Raya’s comment on Mikel Merino’s Instagram post
With Spain celebrating their World Cup victory, Merino, along with his Arsenal teammates Raya and Martin Zubimendi, will soon embark on their summer holiday after the tournament.
The trio will enjoy at least three weeks off, and Merino’s swelling is expected to subside well before Arsenal resumes its activities.
In the interim, he might consider joining Spain’s parade photos while wearing an eye patch!
Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images