Arsenal’s Mikel Merino scored a hat-trick as European champions Spain maintained their 100 per cent start to World Cup qualifying with an emphatic 6-0 win in Turkey.
Pedri got on the scoresheet twice and Ferran Torres also found the net in a blistering display by Luis De La Fuente’s side in Sunday’s Group E encounter in Konya.
Victory could have been even more convincing but for a number of saves by Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, who was kept busy throughout.
🤩 Yo también estaría así de radiante.
¡¡ENHORABUENA, @mikelmerino1!!
Balón para casita.#VamosEspaña | #CopaMundialFIFA pic.twitter.com/t0mEhVJXnL
— Selección Española Masculina de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) September 7, 2025
It was another strong statement by Spain, who opened their campaign with a 3-0 win in Bulgaria last Thursday.
Hakan Calhanoglu had an early chance for Turkey but Unai Simon saved and the game proved one-way traffic in Spain’s favour thereafter.
Cakir’s first action came after five minutes when he denied Nico Williams and Pedri in quick succession.
He was beaten soon after as Pedri swerved past a defender and bent a low shot through a crowded area and inside the far post but then saved from Robin Le Normand and Lamine Yamal.
Spain doubled the lead after 22 minutes from a dazzling move which started with some fine interplay between Marc Cucurella and Pedri on the left.
A series of intricate passes involving Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal followed before Merino turned in his first.
Yamal should have added another when he blazed the ball over and Williams forced another save from Cakir.
Spain’s third came in first-half stoppage-time as Pedri played a one-two with Oyarzabal and then pulled the ball back for Merino to tuck away.
Torres made it 4-0 – eight minutes into the second half – with a clinical finish after a swift counter-attack involving Pedri and Yamal.
Merino then completed his treble four minutes later, with a superb curling effort from 20 yards after Spain had again broken from deep.
Spain seized possession to grab their sixth just after the hour following another swift breakaway.
Oyarzabal wrong-footed the defence with a weaving run before slipping in Pedri, who made no mistake in front of goal.
Turkey’s frustration showed when Real Madrid’s Arda Guler got involved in a confrontation with Barcelona youngster Yamal as he prepared to take a free-kick.
The game became scrappy in the closing stages as Spain saw out the victory.
Guler pushed for a Turkey consolation but had three long-range efforts blocked, while Kerem Akturkoglu also failed to find a way through and Orkun Kokcu fired over.
