Spain beat Belgium 2-1 in the World Cup
Merino struck in the 88th minute, pouncing on a rebound off backup Belgium goalkeeper Senne Lammens to send Spain through with a 2-1 victory.
The goal made Merino the matchwinner for the second straight round, having also scored the winner against Portugal in the round of 16.
Fabian Ruiz opened the scoring for Spain in the first half before Charles De Ketelaere equalised for Belgium.
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Ruiz got the nod ahead of Pedri in Spain's only lineup change, and the decision paid off when he pounced on a rebound just after the first-half hydration break.
Belgium's equaliser came from a perfect cross by Timothy Castagne, with De Ketelaere beating goalkeeper Unai Simon with a glancing header, ending Spain's 650-minute scoreless streak dating back to the 2022 World Cup.
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Belgium began the match without captain Youri Tielemans, who was injured in the warm-up, and lost first-choice goalkeeper Thibault Courtois to injury in the second half.
Courtois was substituted in the 71st minute after appearing slow to get up from a clearance, with backup Lammens then unable to hold onto Pau Cubarsi's long-range shot that fell for Merino's winner.
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said his side had come close to forcing extra time and felt everyone on the squad deserved to go further in the tournament.
What's Next for Spain
Spain will meet France in the semifinal, with the match set for AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Tuesday. Some observers consider the Spain-France tie an unofficial final, given the two sides currently rank as the world's top two teams.
