Striker Mikel Oyarzabal, 29, scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist in Spain’s 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, in group H of the 2026 World Cup.
He was born in Eibar, in the Basque Country, a region between northern Spain and southern France that for almost six decades had its independence demanded by the terrorist group ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, “Basque Homeland and Freedom” in Basque), created in 1959 during the Spanish dictatorship of Francisco Franco (1939-1975).
The independence movement lost strength in recent years, which led to the end of ETA itself in 2018.
But in 2024, when Oyarzabal scored Spain’s title-winning goal in the European Championship final, his hometown was filled with graffiti and posters that called him a traitor and criticized the presence of Basque players in the Spanish team.
The curious thing is that Oyarzabal is one of Roja’s least known players precisely because he played his entire career only for the Basque team Real Sociedad, which he has defended since he was 14 years old.
Sociedad is, of the most important Basque teams, the least rigid. It has no restrictions regarding the origin of the players, while Athletic Bilbao, its biggest rival, only accepts athletes of Basque origin or those trained at clubs in the region.
Apparently, Oyarzabal stayed at Real Sociedad out of loyalty, even though he lost visibility and opportunities for growth. The striker was sought after by teams such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain throughout his career.
He has good career numbers: he scored 136 goals and made 66 assists in 450 matches at Real Sociedad. For the Spanish national team, he scored 27 goals and provided 12 assists, making him the seventh highest scorer in history.
On the field, he is a versatile center forward, creates good plays as a false 9 and finishes very well. He’s just not fast, but his style is compatible with teams like Barcelona and Manchester City.
A case similar to his is that of Nico Williams, Basque player for Athletic Bilbao and one of the jewels of the new Spanish generation.
Alongside Lamine Yamal, Nico was decisive in Spain’s Euro 2024 title. That’s why Barcelona insisted on signing him. Despite much harassment from the culés, the winger went against the trend of modern football and renewed his contract with Athletic for ten years, something unusual in the market.
In addition to the attacking duo, the Spanish team has four other Basques: goalkeeper Unai Simón and defender Aymeric Laporte, both from Athletic Bilbao, and midfielders Mikel Merino, from Arsenal, and Zubimendi, from Real Sociedad.
