Mikel Oyarzabal
Spanish footballer (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte (born 21 April 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Sociedad, who he captains, and the Spain national team.
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Oyarzabal with Spain in 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 April 1997[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Eibar, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Real Sociedad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eibar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2015 | Real Sociedad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | → Eibar (loan) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Real Sociedad B | 13 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015– | Real Sociedad | 349 | (100) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Spain U18 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Spain U19 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Spain U21 | 25 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Spain U23 | 7 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | Spain | 56 | (27) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Basque Country | 1 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:49, 23 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 15:32, 27 June 2026 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He has spent his entire professional career with Real Sociedad, making more than 400 appearances and scoring over 130 goals. He won the 2019–20 and the 2025–26 Copa del Rey with the club, scoring in both finals.
Oyarzabal made his full debut for the Spain national team in 2016, representing the side at the 2026 World Cup and two European Championships, winning Euro 2024 where he scored the decisive goal in the final.
Club career
Born in Eibar, Gipuzkoa, Oyarzabal joined Real Sociedad's youth setup in 2011, aged 14.[2] While still a junior, he made his senior debut with the reserves on 15 November 2014, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 3–2 away win against Amorebieta in the Segunda División B.[3]
On 20 September 2015, Oyarzabal scored his first senior goals, scoring twice in a 5–0 away rout of Mensajero.[4] He made his first-team and La Liga debut on 25 October, replacing Carlos Vela in the dying minutes of a 4–0 victory at Levante.[5]
Oyarzabal scored his first goal for Real Sociedad on 8 February 2016 in a 5–0 away win over Espanyol.[6] Six days later, shortly after having extended his contract until 2021,[7] he scored two goals to help defeat Granada 3–0 at the Anoeta Stadium.[8]
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On 19 August 2016, Oyarzabal again renewed his contract until 2022.[9] He featured in all 38 league matches over the season,[10] as the San Sebastián-based team came sixth and returned to the UEFA Europa League after a two-year absence.[11]
Oyarzabal made his European debut on 19 October 2017, scoring in a 6–0 thrashing of Macedonia's Vardar in the Europa League group stage;[12] his team made it to the last 32, with him scoring an own goal in a 4–3 aggregate loss to Red Bull Salzburg.[13] On the domestic front he scored 12 goals,[14] including two in a 5–0 win against Girona on 8 April 2018.[15]
On 5 October 2018, Oyarzabal scored his first goals since May of that year, converting two penalties in a 3–1 away victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby.[16] The opposition had tried to sign him in the previous summer transfer window, but he had rejected their approach in favour of signing a new contract with Real Sociedad to run until 2024.[17] He set a new personal best that campaign, netting 13 times.[18]
In the 2019–20 Copa del Rey, Oyarzabal scored a penalty in each leg of a 3–1 aggregate defeat of Mirandés as his team reached the final for the first time since 1988.[19] On 10 July that year, he achieved his 50th goal for the club in a 3–2 home loss against Granada,[20] and on 3 October he scored a penalty in his 200th match in a 3–0 win over Getafe.[21]
On 3 April 2021, Oyarzabal scored the only goal of the delayed 2020 Copa del Rey final, also through a penalty, to help Real Sociedad beat Athletic Bilbao and clinch their first trophy in 34 years.[22][23] In March 2022, he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee during a training session, potentially ruling him out for the rest of that year.[24] He returned on 31 December as a late substitute in a 2–0 home win over Osasuna,[25] and two weeks later scored his first goal since his recovery to conclude a 3–1 victory against Athletic at the same venue; it was his sixth goal (four from the spot) in 14 games against the rivals.[26]
In February 2023, Oyarzabal extended his contract until 2028, retaining the buyout clause of €75 million.[27] He became captain in June, when Asier Illarramendi left.[28]
Oyarzabal scored his 100th goal for Real Sociedad on 1 December 2024, through a penalty in the 2–0 home win against Real Betis.[29] He made his 400th appearance the following 30 August, in a 1–0 loss at Real Oviedo.[30]
On 4 March 2026, Oyarzabal scored a late penalty to help Real to reach another Spanish cup final after beating Athletic Bilbao 2–0 on aggregate.[31] In the decisive match, on 18 April, he repeated the feat in the 45th minute of an eventual penalty shootout victory over Atlético Madrid;[32] it was his sixth career final, and he found the net in all of them while being on the winning side on four occasions.[33]
International career
Spain
Oyarzabal represented Spain at under-18,[34] under-19 and under-21 levels.[35] On 17 May 2016, aged 19, he was called up to the senior squad for a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.[36] Twelve days later, he replaced Nolito (who had scored) at the hour mark of the 3–1 win.[37][38]
On 10 June 2019, Oyarzabal scored his first goal, in a 3–0 victory over Sweden in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers.[39] In May 2021, he was included in Luis Enrique's 24-man squad for the finals.[40] As a late substitute, he scored the last goal of a 5–3 extra-time win against Croatia in the last 16.[41] In the following round, he scored the last attempt of a penalty shootout defeat of Switzerland (1–1 after 120 minutes).[42]
Oyarzabal was selected for the Olympic squad to compete in Tokyo in 2021.[43] He scored three times for the runners-up, including once in the 2–1 final loss to Brazil.[44] In the 2021 UEFA Nations League final against France on 10 October, he scored the opening goal of the match, but Spain ultimately suffered a 2–1 defeat.[45]
After being absent from the national team at the time of the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to his serious knee injury, Oyarzabal made a provisional list for Euro 2024 on 27 May.[46] He scored his first international hat-trick on 5 June, in a 5–0 friendly win over Andorra prior to the tournament.[47] In the finals in Germany,[48] he played all seven games for the champions, starting once.[49][50] On 14 July, he scored in the 86th minute in the final to secure a 2–1 victory against England.[51]
Oyarzabal was called by Spain for the 2026 World Cup.[52] On 15 June, in their opener against Cape Verde, he became the first player on record (since 1966) to fail to touch the ball in the first 30 minutes of a World Cup match.[53] In the following fixture, however, he scored twice and also provided an assist for Lamine Yamal in the 4–0 win over Saudi Arabia.[54]
Basque Country
Oyarzabal featured for the non-affiliated Basque Country national team, scoring on his debut to cap a 3–1 win over Tunisia at the San Mamés Stadium on 30 December 2016.[55]
Personal life
Oyarzabal combined his early professional career with studying for a business degree at the University of Deusto.[10] He started a relationship with Ainhoa Larrauri in 2015,[56] with their son being born in December 2023.[57]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 23 May 2026[58]
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Sociedad B | 2014–15 | Segunda División B | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Segunda División B | 8 | 3 | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 13 | 3 | — | — | — | 13 | 3 | |||||
| Real Sociedad | 2015–16 | La Liga | 22 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 6 | ||
| 2016–17 | La Liga | 38 | 2 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 43 | 4 | |||
| 2017–18 | La Liga | 35 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 6[a] | 2 | — | 43 | 14 | ||
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 37 | 13 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 41 | 14 | |||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 37 | 10 | 8[b] | 3 | — | — | 45 | 13 | |||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 33 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 7[a] | 0 | 1[c] | 1 | 43 | 13 | |
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 22 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 6[a] | 3 | — | 33 | 15 | ||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 23 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | — | 28 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 33 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7[d] | 2 | — | 44 | 14 | ||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 35 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 12[a] | 5 | — | 53 | 18 | ||
| 2025–26 | La Liga | 34 | 15 | 6 | 3 | — | — | 40 | 18 | |||
| Total | 349 | 100 | 47 | 20 | 40 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 437 | 133 | ||
| Career total | 362 | 103 | 47 | 20 | 40 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 450 | 136 | ||
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Includes appearance and goal in 2020 Copa del Rey final (played in 2021)
- Appearance in Supercopa de España
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
International
- As of match played 26 June 2026[59]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2016 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 15 | 6 | |
| 2025 | 10 | 9 | |
| 2026 | 5 | 5 | |
| Total | 56 | 27 | |
- As of match played 21 June 2026[59]
- Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Oyarzabal goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 June 2019 | Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain | 2 |  Sweden | 3–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 2 | 18 November 2019 | Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain | 7 |  Romania | 5–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying |
| 3 | 10 October 2020 | Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, Madrid, Spain | 8 |  Switzerland | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A |
| 4 | 17 November 2020 | Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain | 11 |  Germany | 6–0 | 6–0 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A |
| 5 | 28 June 2021 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 17 |  Croatia | 5–3 | 5–3 (a.e.t.) | UEFA Euro 2020 |
| 6 | 10 October 2021 | San Siro, Milan, Italy | 21 |  France | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals |
| 7 | 16 November 2023 | Alphamega Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus | 26 |  Cyprus | 2–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 8 | 5 June 2024 | Estadio Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain | 29 |  Andorra | 2–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 10 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 11 | 8 June 2024 | Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, Palma de Mallorca, Spain | 30 |  Northern Ireland | 5–1 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 12 | 14 July 2024 | Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany | 37 |  England | 2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
| 13 | 15 November 2024 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 41 |  Denmark | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
| 14 | 23 March 2025 | Mestalla Stadium, Valencia, Spain | 43 |  Netherlands | 1–0 | 3–3 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p) | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A |
| 15 | 2–1 | ||||||
| 16 | 8 June 2025 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany | 45 |  Portugal | 2–1 | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (3–5 p) | 2025 UEFA Nations League Finals |
| 17 | 4 September 2025 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria | 46 |  Bulgaria | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 18 | 11 October 2025 | Estadio Martínez Valero, Elche, Spain | 48 |  Georgia | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 19 | 14 October 2025 | José Zorrilla Stadium, Valladolid, Spain | 49 | Bulgaria | 4–0 | 4–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 20 | 15 November 2025 | Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, Tbilisi, Georgia | 50 | Georgia | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 21 | 4–0 | ||||||
| 22 | 18 November 2025 | Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain | 51 |  Turkey | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 23 | 27 March 2026 | Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal, Spain | 52 |  Serbia | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 24 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 25 | 8 June 2026 | Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Puebla, Mexico | 53 |  Peru | 1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 26 | 21 June 2026 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States | 55 |  Saudi Arabia | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup |
| 27 | 3–0 |
Honours
Real Sociedad
Spain U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2019;[60] runner-up: 2017[61]
Spain U23
- Summer Olympics silver medal: 2020[44]
Spain
Individual
