Better than Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Robert Lewandowski: Spain’s shock goalscorer leaves superstars behind in 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

Could it really be true? An unexpected midfielder outscoring Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Robert Lewandowski in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign?

Could it really be true? An unexpected midfielder outscoring Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Robert Lewandowski in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign? That’s the story taking European soccer by surprise, as Spain’s dominance in Group E continues with perfection — and one player’s name has become the most unexpected addition to the continent’s top scorers list.

Spain remains unstoppable under Luis de la Fuente, boasting a perfect record of four wins out of four in the European qualifying phase, with a staggering 15-0 aggregate score. Its latest 4-0 victory over Bulgaria not only kept their run of 29 consecutive competitive games unbeaten, but also unveiled a goalscoring story few could have predicted.

The match itself was a masterclass in control and creativity. Pedri dictated the rhythm, Alex Baena tormented defenders, and Mikel Oyarzabal capped the night with a penalty — but it was one man who truly stood out. The spotlight, surprisingly, belonged to Mikel Merino, who scored twice in Valladolid to seal another emphatic win. With those goals, the Arsenal midfielder brought his tally to six goals in the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, more than some of the biggest names in soccer history.

For most of the first half, Bulgaria resisted Spain’s waves of attacks, but their resistance broke when Robin Le Normand headed Pedri’s floated ball into the box — and Merino rose highest to power home the opener. It was Spain’s 18th shot on goal already, proof of their relentless domination.

Moments later, Merino nearly turned provider as a poor clearance fell to him, only for young Samu Aghehowa to misfire. But the midfielder wasn’t done. In the second half, Álex Grimaldo’s inch-perfect cross from the left found Merino again, and his header crashed past the goalkeeper to make it 2-0. The 29-year-old’s timing, power, and positioning were faultless — the traits of a natural finisher rather than a deep-lying playmaker.

Outscoring soccer’s elite

According to FIFA‘s stats, “Mikel Merino (six) has scored more goals in 2026 World Cup qualifying than Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Robert Lewandowski.”

That fact alone is staggering. Cristiano Ronaldo has netted five goals for Portugal, Mbappe only three for France, and Lewandowski has managed three for Poland. Meanwhile, Merino, in just four appearances, has scored six times, matching the tallies of elite strikers like Harry Kane, Kevin De Bruyne, and Andrej Kramaric — and only trailing Erling Haaland (12) and Memphis Depay (7) in the European zone.

For context, Haaland’s 12 goals for Norway lead all scorers, while Depay’s seven for the Netherlands put him second. But Merino’s strike rate — 1.5 goals per game — is among the most efficient in the competition, placing him ahead of several pure forwards.