Monday, July 6th 2026
Mikel Oyarzabal is everything Cristiano Ronaldo is not at this stage of his career: quiet, unassuming, team-focused and always willing to do the dirty work for the team.
But it is precisely this profile that could put him in the spotlight in the big World Cup showdown between Spain and Portugal.
Oyarzabal was one of five Real Sociedad players in Spain’s Euro 2024 squad. No club the other had no more representatives. But neither he nor his Basque teammates made much noise about their role in Spain’s success in Germany.
“That’s who we are,” Oyarzabal told The Guardian. “We don’t like to be in the center of attention.”
However, it is becoming more and more difficult for him to stay out of the spotlight.
Monday’s match between Spain and Portugal in Dallas, in the round of 16 of the World Cup, is naturally being promoted as the duel of Lamine Yamal against Cristiano Ronaldo. And that’s completely understandable.
On one side is the fearsome teenager, with magic on his feet, who is aiming to cement his status as one of the best players in the world. On the other side is one of the all-time greats enjoying his “last dance” on football’s biggest stage.
But for those who have long underestimated Oyarzabal, it is now clear that Spain’s unsung hero could be the game-setter in Arlington. In fact, the 29-year-old striker looks like exactly the type of player Portugal would love to have leading the attack instead of Ronaldo: a quiet, humble leader who always puts the team before himself.
In a World Cup lit up by superstars, Oyarzabal looks like the most unexpected name in the race for the tournament’s top scorer.
Everyone expected Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembele to fight for the Golden Boot. But almost no one had brought Oyarzabal into this discussion, which, if you look at the numbers, is a little strange.
After all, it was Oyarzabal who scored the winning goal for Spain in the Euro 2024 final. He also scored in five of Spain’s World Cup qualifiers, while in the only game where he did not find the back of the net, against Turkey, he registered three assists.
scored in Spain’s final pre-World Cup friendly against Peru, Oyarzabal took his tally to 12 goals in his last 11 appearances for the national team.
He was also coming off the most productive season of his career in La Liga, with 15 goals in 34 games, while also maintaining a remarkable record: he had scored in every final he played in, including Real Sociedad’s triumph over Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey.
Me these impressive numbers, the question is simple: how did Oyarzabal manage to come to North America almost without fanfare?
Perhaps this was inevitable. Because the quiet Basque legend seems to be a master at flying under the radar.
Just remember his winning goal at Euro 2024. When Oyarzabal passes the ball to Marc Cucurellas, Marc Guehi is right next to him. However, it’s as if he doesn’t see him at all.
Instead of keeping the Spanish striker close, Guehi looks around for any other danger. But at that point it is already too late. Oyarzabal got off his back and deflected Cucurella’s low cross past Jordan Pickford.
Oyarzabal did the same in Spain’s 3-0 win over Austria in the round of 16.
When the ball went to Cucurella on the left wing, there were six Austrian and three Spanish players in the area. Alex Baena and Dani Olmo were closely covered, but Oyarzabal was not, even though he was standing in the middle of the area. In the end, he sent the ball into the net with almost unbelievable composure to open the scoring.
His ability to remain undetected was even more evident in the second goal. Although Austria were pushing forward in the final minutes, their defensive line was fully engaged. However, no one noticed Spain’s “invisible man” before he coolly finished off another Cucurellas cross.
This was his 17th goal in the last 16 games as a starter for the national team.
Of course, it must be admitted that Ronaldo rarely benefits from such a lack of attention. The moves of the most famous face of football and one of the greatest finishers in history almost never go unnoticed.
For that reason, credit must go to Ronaldo for the way he still manages to create spaces for himself at this World Cup, especially considering he is already 41 years old.
He came very close to a beautiful goal in Portugal’s win over Croatia in the round of 16, but canceled for minimal offside.
However, there’s no getting away from the fact that Ronaldo no longer poses the same threat against quality opposition.
He scored the first goal in the World Cup knockout stage from the penalty spot in Toronto, but his performance was far from convincing. Roberto Martinez even indirectly acknowledged this time, substituting the top scorer in the history of international football around 10 minutes before the end.
Furthermore, Portugal managed to advance to the last 16 thanks to the often underused player Goncalo Ramos. He headed home the winning goal in the 94th minute after being entrusted with the responsibility of leading the attack after replacing Ronaldo, who had only touched the ball once in the box.
Given that Ronaldo no longer influences the game outside the box, it is hard not to question the value of his contribution to Portugal if he fails to make a difference inside the box as well. Especially now that they will be facing a Spain that has not yet conceded a goal in this World Cup.
One of the main reasons why Spain has kept a clean sheet is the willingness of the entire team to work hard to recover the ball every time they lose it.
As Oyarzabal himself had emphasized, collective work has been essential in Spain’s 34-game unbeaten streak.
“Luis de la Fuente has emphasized to the group: work for your teammate, not for your personal gain. These are the values that the coach represents,” he said.
And precisely Oyarzabal is perhaps the player who best embodies this philosophy on the pitch.
De la Fuente describes his first striker as “a complete footballer” and is happy that such a “down to earth” character is finally getting “the appreciation he deserves”.
Not that Oyarzabal craves this attention. He is a kind of “anti-Ronaldo”: focused only on his job and helping the team.
He even insists that he doesn’t care if he doesn’t score another goal in this World Cup, as long as Spain wins.
“What matters is that my family is here,” he said after the brace against Austria, which took his tally to four goals in the tournament. “And the most important thing is our common objective.”
In this sense, Oyarzabal could not be more different from Ronaldo, as a player and as a personality. But that doesn’t make him any less dangerous as a potential game-winner in Dallas.
On the contrary, that may be exactly why he ends up getting the attention of one of football’s biggest superstars.
Source: prizrenpost
