David Raya ended up tangled in the net after climbing the goalposts following Spain’s World Cup win on Sunday night, with the incident caught on camera.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has been away with Spain at the World Cup over the last month, and he got to enjoy the trophy celebrations on Sunday after his side defeated Argentina 1-0 in the final.
With Luis de la Fuente favouring Unai Simon in his lineups, Raya didn’t end up making an appearance at the tournament. But from an Arsenal perspective, that did at least mean fewer opportunities for a freak injury.
Yet in the aftermath of the trophy lift, Raya almost brought injury on himself, climbing the goalposts to remove the net before jumping to the floor, only for his winner’s medal to get caught on the netting.
Fortunately, the goalkeeper was able to slip his head out of the medal ribbon without assistance, though he may want to think twice before climbing netting wearing medals in future.
Raya’s Arsenal teammates were both involved on the pitch in the final against Argentina, with Martin Zubimendi making his first appearance of the tournament in extra time of the final match.
Mikel Merino was involved much more often, appearing in every single game of the tournament, albeit largely as a substitute. The midfielder scored winning goals against Portugal and Belgium on the way to the final.
It’s been a great year for the trio overall, winning both the World Cup and the Premier League title. But with Merino suffering a black eye and Raya almost getting stuck in the netting, their final games of 2025/26 were more eventful than necessary.
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