Mikel Oyarzabal Key Player for Spain in 2026 FIFA World Cup

Kathmandu. Forward Mikel Oyarzabal has emerged as a key player to watch for the Spanish national football team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The influential forward from Real Sociedad is entering the competition as one of Spain's most reliable and highest-scoring players under head coach Luis de la Fuente. At 29 years old, making his World Cup debut, Oyarzabal is certain to be the focal point of Spain's attack this time. Oyarzabal is known as a 'big-game player' who performs excellently in big matches for both club and country. Having scored the decisive winning goal for Spain in the Euro 2024 final, his ability to provide clinical finishing and play as a 'deep-lying center-forward' makes him invaluable to the team. With the absence of traditional number nine strikers like Alvaro Morata in the Spanish squad this time, and the need to manage the physical fitness of young wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, 'La Roja' is placing all its trust in Oyarzabal. Oyarzabal has been in aggressive and impressive form leading up to the World Cup. He maintained excellent statistics on domestic and international grounds in the 2025/2026 season. In his last 13 international matches, he was directly involved in 19 goals, scoring 13 himself and providing 6 assists. He has an incredible record of scoring or assisting in his last 12 consecutive national team appearances. In the World Cup qualifiers, he scored 6 goals, jointly the highest for Spain, and also provided the most assists for the team with 4. In the domestic league La Liga, playing for Real Sociedad, he scored 15 goals and provided 4 assists in the 2025-26 season. In the friendly match against Peru as the final preparation for the World Cup, Oyarzabal continued his high form by scoring the opening goal just 2 minutes after coming onto the field. Born on April 21, 1997, this 5-foot-11-inch left-footed striker's spectacular performance has made Spain dream big this time.