Spain national team advances to the final four PHOTO: Getty Images Spain national team advances to the final four of the World Cup, with midfielder Merino scoring the winning goal after playing as a substitute in two consecutive games Spain has advanced to the final four for the first time since 2010, when the Spanish national team won the North and Central American Soccer World Cup. On July 10th (11th Japan time), midfielder Mikel Merino (Arsenal) played against the Belgian national team in the quarterfinals held in Los Angeles, and for the second consecutive match, midfielder Mikel Merino (Arsenal) played as a late substitute in the final goal.