Redemption complete: Mikel Oyarzabal had a lacklustre showing in Spain’s opening match in FIFA World Cup 2026. In their next match, he delivered a Player-of-the-Match performance. | Photo Credit: AP

Football, like life, has a habit of changing fortunes quickly.

Less than a week ago, Mikel Oyarzabal found himself attached to an unwanted statistic after Spain’s goalless draw against Cape Verde. For nearly 30 minutes, the striker went without touching the ball, a reflection of an afternoon when little seemed to work for one of the tournament favourites.

Six days later, Oyarzabal walked off the same pitch with two World Cup goals and an assist in Spain’s 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia.

The turnaround was fitting for a player who has spent much of his career being quietly effective rather than loudly celebrated.

Unlike many of Spain’s stars, Oyarzabal did not emerge from the academies of Real Madrid or Barcelona. The 29-year-old grew up in the industrial Basque town of Eibar, where former teachers remember him as a respectful, hardworking and mature child who never sought attention despite being the best footballer in the schoolyard.

He joined Real Sociedad as a teenager and has remained there ever since, becoming captain and a symbol of a club that continues to challenge Spain’s giants despite operating with a fraction of their resources.

His value to the national team, filled with stars, extends well beyond the goals he scores. The Basque forward has scored 27 goals in 55 appearances for Spain.

“People who know about football value Mikel greatly,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said after the win. “The impact he has on the team is massive and is probably bigger than any other. The other day, he broke a record of not touching a ball for 30 minutes and today he scored two goals and had one assist.”

The 29-year-old, who came through the Sociedad youth system, has now been directly involved in 21 goals – 14 goals and seven assists – in his last 13 games for Spain.

Unlike most of his Spanish teammates, he is not a striker who constantly demands possession. Instead, Oyarzabal occupies defenders, creates space, leads the press and often makes the runs that allow others to shine.

Yet when the moment arrives, he is usually in the right place.

“He is a footballer who can make history,” De la Fuente added.

He has already played his part in a few historic moments. He scored in the 2019-20 and 2025-26 Copa del Rey finals as Real Sociedad lifted the trophy, and he also struck the winner against England in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.

After yet another match-winning performance, Oyarzabal was happy to have reignited Spain’s World Cup quest.

“I’m happy to have scored, to have helped the team. One way or another, I’m always trying to do what’s best for the team. When you don’t do things well, when things don’t go your way, you criticise yourself, you look internally to try to improve,” he said.

“We knew we could do much better than the other day. We were looking forward to turning it around. It was very important to start with the right foot, and that’s what happened.”

Against Cape Verde, Oyarzabal had become the subject of an awkward statistic. Against Saudi Arabia, he has reminded everyone why Spain and De la Fuente keep selecting him.

Published on Jun 22, 2026