Izan Merino


Izan Merino Rodríguez is a Spanish footballer who plays for Segunda 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.

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

Honours

Spain U19