Mikel Oyarzabal, the selfless one-club forward with Spain’s 17-in-17 surge | OneFootball

Mikel Oyarzabal faces Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the World Cup last 16 on Monday at 21:00. The Real Sociedad forward, 29, is stylistically his opposite yet has become ruthlessly efficient, with 17 goals in his past 17 Spain caps.

According to L'Équipe, he has also supplied seven assists in that span, a return Kylian Mbappé does not match, with 15 goals and seven. Spanish media have even cast him as R9, with edits of Ronaldo’s 2002 haircut circulating. This surge comes despite him only reaching 15 Liga goals in a season for the first time last May.

Those who know him stress he is team-first, without a big ego and not fixated on scoring, and he has never left his boyhood club. Former team-mate Hamari Traoré argues he could score far more if he were single-minded, but he creates, makes space and reads the game superbly. Against Cape Verde on 15 June he went 30 minutes without a touch, perhaps a World Cup first, yet stuck to the plan.

Not a natural number 9, he was developed as a winger and now plays left, right, centrally, as a 10 and even as an 8 in a 4-3-3. He also holds a business administration degree and began in judo. Real rarely win 5-0 or 6-0, while with Spain he benefits from team-mates such as Lamine Yamal and Pedri.

Big clubs have courted him, notably Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, yet he did not even listen, choosing to stay at Real, where he arrived aged 14 and has won two Copas del Rey, in 2020 and 2026. The trade-off is limited Champions League exposure, only seven matches in 2023-2024, and less renown. He shrugs off talk of being underrated, saying he is tired of the question and only values the views of team-mates and staff.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has tipped him as a future manager, praising his understanding, decision-making and knack for playing between the lines. He also delivered the Euro 2024 final winner against England, a 2-1 victory after extra time.

Source: L'Équipe