Mikel Oyarzabal soars to new heights after leading Spain to the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup on Friday (AEST).
Oyarzabal scored again as European champions Spain beat Austria 3-0 in Los Angeles, opening the scoring in the 36th minute before Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the second half.
The Golden Boot contender sealed the deal with his second goal of the match in the closing stages, with Spain now awaiting either Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal or Luka Modric’s Croatia in the next round.
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Oyarzabal now has four goals at the World Cup – the best result for the Spanish national team. At this tournament, the Real Sociedad captain scored five goals (four goals, one assist) – only David Villa in 2010 (6 – 5G 1A) scored more goals than him for Spain in a single World Cup.
Teen phenomenon Lamin Yamal dominates Spanish headlines, while Oyarzabal often lacks the global recognition he deserves.
But the situation is gradually changing against the backdrop of its form, not only in North America, but also beyond its borders.
The 29-year-old, who spent his entire career with boyhood club Sociedad in Spanish La Liga, has scored 17 goals in his last 16 appearances for La Roja.
“He is a great among greats,” said Spain head coach Luis De la Fuente. “We’re finally starting to recognize him in Spain, oh my goodness.”
Luis De la Fuente discovered the Real Sociedad great who led the Basque club to Copa del Rey glory at the expense of Atlético Madrid in the 2025-26 season.
Prior to the tournament, Oyarzabal scored 27 goals in 32 matches (19 goals, 8 assists).
After helping to sink Austria, he has now been directly involved in his final 16 caps, scoring 24 goals (17 goals, seven assists).
At club level, Oyarzabal scored 15 goals and provided four assists for Sociedad last season, with 18 goals to his name in all competitions.
“Oyarzabal is a very smart person,” De la Fuente said. “You can see it in his play, his intelligence and his interpretation of the game. He is one of the best players between the lines.”
“There are few players who understand football like he does. And he is incredible at scoring goals.”