Three bombs that nearly killed him. An injury that threatened to destroy his World Cup dream. Glory in the shirts of Arsenal and Spain. Mikel Merino has lived an extraordinary journey, one in which fear and suffering collided with determination and hope before he reached the summit of world football.In a deeply personal letter published by The Players' Tribune, the Arsenal midfielder looks back on the defining moments of his career, from the terrifying attack on Borussia Dortmund's team bus to a devastating foot injury that threatened to end his World Cup hopes. ##LINKED_NEWS_59417##Throughout it all, his family – particularly his wife, Lola – played a crucial role in helping him overcome the darkest periods of his life.One of the most frightening episodes came in 2017, when Merino was playing for Dortmund and the team bus was attacked by three bombs as the players travelled to a Champions League match."I think I have an angel on my shoulder. I'm actually fortunate to be alive at all," the Spaniard wrote."I was 20 and playing for Dortmund when three pipe bombs went off right next to our bus on the way to a Champions League match. A lot of young people probably would not even believe that it happened, or how bad it was, but it marked us all."There was a deafening noise, and then I remember the bus nearly tipping over. I looked behind me and saw blood on the floor. Smoke, screams."##EDITORS_CHOICE##Merino spent that night in hospital, waiting for his teammate Marc Bartra, who had suffered a serious wrist injury in the explosion. But the full extent of how close he had come to being seriously hurt himself only became clear the following day.A huge piece of shrapnel had lodged in the headrest of the seat next to Bartra's – the seat Merino normally occupied.That day, however, he had chosen to sit elsewhere. His legs felt tight, and the seats further forward reclined, offering him more space. A seemingly insignificant decision may have saved his life."The next day, someone told me that a huge piece of shrapnel was lodged in the headrest of the seat next to Marc. My usual seat."That day, the seat was empty."My legs were feeling a bit tight, and the seats in the front reclined. So I sat up there instead, and it may have saved my life."##LINKED_NEWS_50907##Years later, Merino faced another battle that would test his resolve differently.Last February, while Arsenal were fighting for the Premier League title and the World Cup was approaching, he suffered a serious stress fracture in his foot. The injury threatened to destroy his chances of representing Spain on football's biggest stage.The diagnosis came during what he described as the most depressing moment of his life. Sitting at the training ground in a protective boot, Merino listened as the club doctor and head physiotherapist explained the scans. The injury was so unusual that even experienced specialists struggled to determine how his foot would recover.##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🗣️ Mikel Merino on being told his injury was career-threatening: “Nobody knew how my foot would recover, or if it would recover at all. Part of me feared I would never play football again.” 🤕 https://t.co/rR9czbxTxr</p>— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) <a href="https://x.com/DailyAFC/status/2110801127486947676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##The initial estimate was six months out. The World Cup was only four months away.His doctor delivered the verdict bluntly: "Mikel, I'm sorry. It's impossible."For a moment, the dream appeared to be over. Merino had already missed out on Spain's final squad for the 2022 World Cup, despite playing in the qualifiers. At 29, with the tournament approaching and his career at a crucial stage, he feared he might never get another opportunity.14.30: (3.20) Everton (3.50) Chelsea (2.20)But he refused to surrender.He underwent surgery, with two screws inserted into his foot to provide support, and committed himself to a demanding rehabilitation programme. His wife, Lola, was pregnant at the time, and the injury left him dependent on her for even the simplest everyday tasks.Merino recalled how difficult it was to accept that he could no longer look after himself, let alone help his wife."I should have been doing everything for her, but she even had to help me walk up the stairs. I'll never forget those moments. My arm around her shoulder, trying not to fall, waiting for her to help me up."'Left foot up, cariño….'"I couldn't go to the supermarket. Couldn't even get myself a glass of water."'Ayyy, honey, I forgot the book downstairs. Could you get it, please?'"Honestly, it got to a point where I was ashamed to ask her."##TWITTER_<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mikel Merino in 21 minutes against Leicester: ✅ 2 touches in opposition box ✅ 2 shots ✅ 2 goals Not bad for his first time ever playing as a striker 😳 https://t.co/yTZjzVzv5u</p>— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) <a href="https://x.com/footballontnt/status/1890772334924947925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>##Despite the setbacks, Lola remained by his side, helping him through the physical and emotional strain. Merino eventually returned to training, and the birth of their son, Marco, on April 30, 2026, gave him another powerful reason to keep fighting.Just days after becoming a father, he completed his first training session following three months of recovery. There was no pain. For the first time in months, the World Cup dream seemed within reach.Merino then threw everything into convincing Spain coach Luis de la Fuente that he was ready. He sent the coaching staff videos, statistics, charts, and reports documenting his progress, determined to prove he could make the squad despite months on the sidelines.When the announcement finally came, the tension gave way to overwhelming joy."I was sitting on the sofa going, Please, please please…."Then his name appeared on the screen."'…….. Mikel Merino!!'"I hugged Lola. I kissed Marco. My phone blew up with messages. I was going to the World Cup."For Merino, the call-up was not simply a reward for his recovery. It was the culmination of a lifelong ambition, one he had pursued despite injury, doubt and the prospect of never playing again.And once he reached the tournament, he made his presence felt. Used as a striker by De la Fuente, Merino scored a crucial late winner against Portugal, exploiting a gap in the defence before finishing with his left foot.##LINKED_NEWS_66980##He later scored another late winner against Belgium, making the moment even more special by celebrating in front of his family. Lola and Marco had travelled to be with him, and their presence gave the goal a significance that went beyond football.After the match, he reflected on what their support had meant to him during the injury and recovery."When I met Lola and Marco at the hotel afterwards, we kissed and we cried. We had no words. That goal was for her. Without her support during this time, I would have been watching the game from the sofa in London."##LINKED_NEWS_69662##His father was also there, making sure the family celebration included one of their familiar jokes. Merino recalled his dad pulling up his trouser legs after the game, laughing at his socks. But the tournament still had one extraordinary moment left for him.In the World Cup final against Argentina, Merino found himself facing a shot from Lionel Messi just outside the penalty area. He stepped forward to close down the Argentine captain, only for the ball to strike him directly in the face."Fortunately, we knew how to suffer. At one point, Messi lined up to shoot just outside the box, and I was like, No, not him. I moved forward to close him down, one metre away. He hit it hard. "BANG. Right in my face."I went down like I'd been shot, which I had."##LINKED_NEWS_67107##The impact was so powerful that Merino temporarily lost sight in one eye for the remainder of the match. For a few moments, he feared something was seriously wrong. But when the final whistle sounded, relief washed over him: Spain had held on, and he was a world champion.In that moment, a childhood memory came flooding back.He pictured himself as a young boy with a ball, telling his mother that one day he would win the World Cup. Now, after surviving an attack that could have killed him, overcoming a potentially career-threatening injury and fighting his way back into the national team, that dream had become reality.18.30: (5.80) Nott.Forest (3.80) Arsenal (1.62)Merino's letter is ultimately about far more than trophies or individual achievements. It is a tribute to the people who carried him through the hardest moments of his life – his wife, his son, his parents and those who supported him when the future looked uncertain.The journey from that Dortmund bus to the World Cup final was anything but straightforward. Yet through every setback, Merino held on to the belief that he still had a story to finish.And his closing reflection captures the emotion of a journey that, even now, is difficult for him to comprehend."Now, that little kid was running around on a pitch in New Jersey, as a world champion."
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