// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Izan Merino? A woolly good guy?
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Izan Merino Rodríguez[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 15 April 2006[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Málaga, Spain | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| 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 | 64 | (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
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 3 June 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 Segunda División club Málaga CF. Mainly a defensive midfielder, he can also play as a centre-back.[2]
Club career
[edit]Born in Málaga, Andalusia, Merino joined Málaga CF's youth setup in 2015, aged nine.[3] 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.[4]
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.[5] 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.[6] The following 20 May, he renewed his contract until 2028.[7]
International career
[edit]Merino is a Spain youth international. He was included in the Spain U17 squad for the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Hungary,[8] and in October of the same year was selected for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia.[9] He has also represented Spain at under-18 level in friendly matches.[10]
Merino later received a call-up to the Spain U19 for the 2025 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Romania.[11] He was a regular starter throughout the tournament, scoring in the group-stage match against Denmark.[12] He also played the full 120 minutes in the semi-final against Germany, which Spain won 6–5 after extra time.[13] He started in the final, where Spain were defeated 1–0 by the Netherlands and finished as runners-up.[14]
In September 2025, Merino was called up to the Spain U20 squad for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.[15] He started in the quarter-final match against Colombia, which ended in a 3–2 defeat and Spain’s elimination from the tournament.[16]
Career statistics
[edit]- As of match played 21 December 2025[17]
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Málaga B | 2022–23 | Tercera Federación | 10 | 0 | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Tercera Federación | 19 | 0 | — | — | 2[b] | 0 | 21 | 0 | |||
| Total | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| Málaga CF | 2023–24 | Primera Federación | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | Segunda División | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2025–26 | Segunda División | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 71 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 78 | 0 | ||
- ↑ Appearance in 2023 Tercera Federación play-offs
- ↑ Appearance in 2024 Tercera Federación play-offs
Honours
[edit]Spain U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship runner-up: 2025[18]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "FIFA U-20 World Cup Chile 2025™ Squad List: Spain (ESP)" (PDF). FIFA. 27 September 2025. p. 22.
- ↑ "¿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.
- ↑ "Izan Merino" (in Spanish). Málaga CF. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "El Málaga sobrevive al 'huracán' Jauregi" [Málaga survive the 'hurricane' Jauregi] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "Convocatoria de la Sub-17 para el Europeo de Hungría" (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ "Izan Merino, subcampeón de Europa Sub-19" [U-19 European Championship runner-up] (in Spanish). Málaga CF. 27 June 2025.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ Izan Merino at Soccerway. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ↑ "2025 Under-19 final: Spain vs Netherlands". Retrieved 27 June 2025.
External links
[edit]- Izan Merino at BDFutbol
- Izan Merino at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
- Izan Merino at Soccerway
- 2006 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Málaga
- Spanish men's footballers
- Men's association football defenders
- Segunda División players
- Primera Federación players
- Tercera Federación players
- Atlético Malagueño players
- Málaga CF players
- Spain men's youth international footballers
- 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup players
- 21st-century Spanish sportsmen