Izan Merino

Izan Merino
Personal information
Full name Izan Merino Rodríguez
Date of birth (2006-04-15) 15 April 2006 (age 20)
Place of birth Málaga, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Málaga
Number 23
Youth career
2015–2020 Málaga
2020–2021 San Félix
2021–2023 Málaga
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2024 Málaga B 29 (0)
2023– Málaga 65 (0)
International career‡
2023 Spain U17 5 (0)
2024 Spain U18 5 (0)
2024–2025 Spain U19 12 (1)
2025 Spain U20 4 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Runner-up2025 Romania
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19 August 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 11 October 2025

Izan Merino Rodríguez (born 15 April 2006) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Primera División club Málaga CF. Mainly a defensive midfielder, he can also play as a centre-back.

Club career

Born in Málaga, Andalusia, Merino joined Málaga CF's youth setup in 2015, aged nine. He made his senior debut with the reserves on 16 October 2022, starting in a 1–1 Tercera Federación home draw against FC Málaga City.

Merino made his first team debut on 6 December 2023, starting in a 1–0 home win over CD Eldense, for the season's Copa del Rey. He featured in five Primera Federación matches in the remainder of the campaign, as his side achieved promotion to Segunda División.

Merino made his professional debut on 17 August 2024, coming on as a late substitute for Juanpe in a 2–2 away draw against Racing de Ferrol. The following 20 May, he renewed his contract until 2028.

Regularly used during the 2025–26 season, Merino contributed with 39 appearances overall as the club achieved another promotion to La Liga. He made his top tier debut on 19 August 2026, starting in a 2–0 away loss to Atlético Madrid.

International career

Merino is a Spain youth international. He was included in the Spain U17 squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Hungary, and in October of the same year was selected for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia. He has also represented Spain at under-18 level in friendly matches.

Merino later received a call-up to the Spain U19 for the 2025 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Romania. He was a regular starter throughout the tournament, scoring in the group-stage match against Denmark. He also played the full 120 minutes in the semi-final against Germany, which Spain won 6–5 after extra time. He started in the final, where Spain were defeated 1–0 by the Netherlands and finished as runners-up.

In September 2025, Merino was called up to the Spain U20 squad for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile. He started in the quarter-final match against Colombia, which ended in a 3–2 defeat and Spain’s elimination from the tournament.

Career statistics

As of match played 21 December 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Málaga B 2022–23 Tercera Federación 100 — — 20 120
2023–24 Tercera Federación 190 — — 20 210
Total 290 00 00 40 330
Málaga CF 2023–24 Primera Federación 50 10 — — 60
2024–25 Segunda División 250 10 — — 260
2025–26 Segunda División 120 10 — — 130
Total 420 30 00 00 450
Career total 710 30 00 40 780

Honours

Spain U19

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™ Squad List: Spain (ESP)" (PDF). FIFA. 27 September 2025. p. 22.
  2. ↑ "Primera División", Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia (in Polish), 27 May 2026, retrieved 30 August 2026
  3. ↑ "¿Ha llegado la hora de Izan Merino en el Málaga?" [Has it come the time of Izan Merino at Málaga?] (in Spanish). Diario Sur. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  4. ↑ "Izan Merino" (in Spanish). Málaga CF. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  5. ↑ "Izan Merino debuta con el Atlético Malagueño a los 16 años" [Izan Merino debuts with Atlético Malagueño at the age of 16] (in Spanish). Nuevo Fútbol. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  6. ↑ "Izan Merino, tras su debut en partido oficial: "Llevo desde pequeño soñando con este momento"" [Izan Merino, after his debut in an official match: "I have been dreaming with this moment since I was a kid"] (in Spanish). Málaga Hoy. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  7. ↑ "El Málaga sobrevive al 'huracán' Jauregi" [Málaga survive the 'hurricane' Jauregi] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  8. ↑ "Izan Merino: el futuro está en sus manos" [Izan Merino: the future is in your hands] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 20 May 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "¡Oh, la, la, Kang-in Lee!" [Oh, la, la, Kang-in Lee!] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 19 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Convocatoria de la Sub-17 para el Europeo de Hungría" (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "OFICIAL | Lista de convocados de José Lana para el Mundial sub-17" (in Spanish). RFEF. 24 October 2023. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  12. ↑ "Izan Merino y Antonio Cordero convocados con la Selección Española Sub-18" [Izan Merino and Antonio Cordero called up with the Spain national under-18 team] (in Spanish). Málaga CF. 4 October 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "Esta es la lista definitiva para el Europeo sub-19" [This is the final list for the Under-19 European Championship] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 9 June 2025.
  14. ↑ Cabrera, Jorge (17 June 2025). "Izan Merino, el motor que mueve a la Sub 19" [Izan Merino, the driving force behind the Under 19 team]. Diario AS (in Spanish).
  15. ↑ Cabrera, Jorge (23 June 2025). "Izan Merino, testigo y figura de un partido histórico de la Sub-19" [Izan Merino, witness and figure of a historic Under-19 match]. Diario AS (in Spanish).
  16. ↑ "Izan Merino, subcampeón de Europa Sub-19" [U-19 European Championship runner-up] (in Spanish). Málaga CF. 27 June 2025.
  17. ↑ "Estos son los 21 futbolistas que defenderán a España en el Mundial Sub-20 de Chile" [These are the 21 players who will defend Spain in the Under-20 World Cup in Chile] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 17 September 2025.
  18. ↑ Lechuga, Juan Ignacio (12 October 2025). "Izan Merino, muy señalado en la eliminación de España del Mundial sub 20" [Izan Merino, heavily singled out in Spain's elimination from the Under-20 World Cup]. El Desmarque (in Spanish).
  19. ↑ Izan Merino at Soccerway. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  20. ↑ "2025 Under-19 final: Spain vs Netherlands". Retrieved 27 June 2025.