Mikel Oyarzabal

Spanish footballer (born 1997) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mikel Oyarzabal

Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte (born 21 April 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left winger or forward for La Liga club Real Sociedad, whom he captains, and the Spain national team.

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Mikel Oyarzabal
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Oyarzabal with Spain in 2019
Personal information
Full name Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte[1]
Date of birth (1997-04-21) 21 April 1997 (age 28)[1]
Place of birth Eibar, Spain[1]
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Winger, forward
Team information
Current team
Real Sociedad
Number 10
Youth career
Eibar
2011–2015 Real Sociedad
2013–2014Eibar (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Real Sociedad B 13 (3)
2015– Real Sociedad 310 (84)
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 43 (15)
2016 Basque Country 1 (1)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Championship
Winner2024 GermanyTeam
UEFA Nations League
Runner-up2021 Italy
Olympic Games
2020 TokyoTeam
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner2019 ItalyTeam
Runner-up2017 PolandTeam
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:21, 23 April 2025 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:18, 23 March 2025 (UTC)
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He has spent his entire professional career with Real Sociedad, making more than 375 appearances and scoring more than 100 goals. He won the 2019–20 Copa del Rey with the club, scoring the winning goal in the final.

Oyarzabal made his full debut for the Spain national team in 2016, representing the side at two European Championships and winning Euro 2024, where he scored the decisive goal in the final.

Club career

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Perspective

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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Oyarzabal with Real Sociedad in 2018

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.

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;[11] his team made it to the last 32, with him scoring an own goal in a 4–3 aggregate loss to Red Bull Salzburg.[12] On the domestic front he scored 12 goals,[13] including two in a 5–0 win against Girona on 8 April 2018.[14]

On 5 October 2018, Oyarzabal scored his first goals since May of that year, two penalties in a 3–1 away victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby.[15] Athletic Bilbao had tried to sign him in the summer transfer window, but he had rejected their approach in favour of signing a new contract with Real Sociedad to run until 2024.[16] He set a new personal best that campaign, netting 13 times.[17]

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.[18] On 10 July that year, he achieved his 50th goal for the club in a 3–2 home defeat against Granada,[19] and on 3 October he scored a penalty in his 200th match in a 3–0 win over Getafe.[20]

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 clinch their first trophy in 34 years after beating Athletic Bilbao.[21][22] 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.[23] He returned on 31 December as a late substitute in a 2–0 home win over Osasuna,[24] 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.[25]

In February 2023, Oyarzabal extended his contract until 2028, retaining the buyout clause of €75 million.[26] He became captain in June, when Asier Illarramendi left.[27]

Oyarzabal scored his 100th goal on 1 December 2024, through a penalty in the 2–0 home win against Real Betis.[28]

International career

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Perspective

Spain

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Oyarzabal with the Spain under-18s in 2015

Oyarzabal represented Spain at under-18,[29] under-19 and under-21 levels.[30] On 17 May 2016, aged 19, he was called up to the senior squad for a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.[31] Twelve days later, he replaced Nolito (who had scored) at the hour mark of the 3–1 win.[32]

On 10 June 2019, Oyarzabal scored his first goal, in a 3–0 victory over Sweden in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers.[33] In May 2021, he was included in Luis Enrique's 24-man squad for the finals.[34] As a late substitute, he scored the last goal of a 5–3 extra time win against Croatia in the last 16.[35] In the following round, he scored the last attempt of a penalty shootout defeat of Switzerland (1–1 after 120 minutes).[36]

Oyarzabal was selected for the Olympic squad to compete in Tokyo in 2021.[37] He scored three times for the runners-up, including once in the 2–1 final loss to Brazil.[38] In the 2021 UEFA Nations League final against France on 10 October, he scored the opening goal of the match, although Spain ultimately suffered a 2–1 defeat.[39]

After an absence from the national team due to his serious knee injury, on 27 May Oyarzabal made a provisional list for Euro 2024.[40] He scored his first international hat-trick on 5 June, in a 5–0 friendly win over Andorra prior to the tournament.[41] In the finals in Germany,[42] he played all seven games for the champions, starting once.[43][44] On 14 July, he scored in the 86th minute in the final to secure a 2–1 victory against England.[45]

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.[46]

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,[47] with their son being born in December 2023.[48]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 April 2025[49]
More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Sociedad B 2014–15 Segunda División B 5050
2015–16 Segunda División B 8383
Total 133133
Real Sociedad 2015–16 La Liga 22620246
2016–17 La Liga 38252434
2017–18 La Liga 3512206[a]24314
2018–19 La Liga 3713414114
2019–20 La Liga 37108[b]34513
2020–21 La Liga 3311217[a]01[c]14313
2021–22 La Liga 229536[a]33315
2022–23 La Liga 234302[a]0284
2023–24 La Liga 339437[d]24414
2024–25 La Liga 3086412[a]54817
Total 310844117401211392114
Career total 323874117401211405117
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  1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. Includes appearance and goal in 2020 Copa del Rey final (played in 2021)
  3. Appearance in Supercopa de España
  4. Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

As of match played 23 March 2025[50]
More information National team, Year ...
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 201610
201962
202042
2021102
202351
2024156
202522
Total4315
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As of match played 23 March 2025[50]
Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Oyarzabal goal.
More information No., Date ...
List of international goals scored by Mikel Oyarzabal
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 June 2019Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain Sweden3–03–0UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
2 18 November 2019Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain Romania5–05–0UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
3 10 October 2020Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, Madrid, Spain  Switzerland1–01–02020–21 UEFA Nations League A
4 17 November 2020Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain Germany6–06–02020–21 UEFA Nations League A
5 28 June 2021Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark Croatia5–35–3 (a.e.t.)UEFA Euro 2020
6 10 October 2021San Siro, Milan, Italy France1–01–22021 UEFA Nations League Finals
7 16 November 2023Alphamega Stadium, Limassol, Cyprus Cyprus2–03–1UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
8 5 June 2024Estadio Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain Andorra2–05–0Friendly
9 3–0
10 4–0
11 8 June 2024Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Northern Ireland5–15–1Friendly
12 14 July 2024Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany England2–12–1UEFA Euro 2024
13 15 November 2024Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark Denmark1–02–12024–25 UEFA Nations League A
14 23 March 2025Mestalla Stadium, Valencia, Spain Netherlands1–03–3 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p)
2024–25 UEFA Nations League A
15 2–1
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Honours

Real Sociedad

Spain U21

Spain U23

Spain

Individual

References

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