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Oyarzabal with Spain in 2019
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 April 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Eibar, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Real Sociedad | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eibar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | 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 | 59 | (29) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Basque Country | 1 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:49, 23 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:05, 10 July 2026 (UTC) |
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Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte (born on April 21, 1997) is a talented Spanish footballer. He plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Sociedad, where he is also the team captain. Mikel also represents the Spanish national team.
He has spent his entire professional career playing for Real Sociedad. He has played over 400 matches and scored more than 130 goals for the club. Mikel helped his team win the Copa del Rey in 2020 and again in 2026, scoring in both final matches.
Oyarzabal first played for the Spanish national team in 2016. He played in the 2026 World Cup and two European Championships. He was part of the team that won Euro 2024, scoring the winning goal in the final game.
Contents
Mikel Oyarzabal: A Football Star
Early Days and Club Journey
Rising Through the Ranks
Mikel Oyarzabal was born in Eibar, a town in Gipuzkoa, Spain. He joined Real Sociedad's youth academy when he was 14 years old in 2011. Even as a young player, he started playing for the reserve team on November 15, 2014. He came in as a substitute in a match against Amorebieta.
On September 20, 2015, Mikel scored his first goals for the reserve team, scoring twice in a big 5–0 win. He made his debut for the main Real Sociedad team in La Liga on October 25, replacing Carlos Vela in a 4–0 victory against Levante.
Key Moments with Real Sociedad
Mikel scored his first goal for Real Sociedad's main team on February 8, 2016. It was in a 5–0 away win against Espanyol. Just six days later, after signing a new contract, he scored two more goals to help his team beat Granada 3–0.
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In August 2016, Oyarzabal signed another contract extension. He played in all 38 league matches during the 2016–17 season. His team finished sixth, which meant they could play in the UEFA Europa League again.
Mikel played his first European club match on October 19, 2017. He scored in a huge 6–0 win against Vardar in the Europa League. That season, he scored 12 goals in the Spanish league, including two in a 5–0 win over Girona.
On October 5, 2018, Oyarzabal scored two goals from penalty kicks in a 3–1 win against Athletic Bilbao. This was a special match known as the Basque derby. He had turned down an offer from Athletic Bilbao to stay with Real Sociedad, signing a new contract until 2024. He scored a personal best of 13 goals that season.
In the 2019–20 Copa del Rey, Mikel scored a penalty in both games against Mirandés. This helped his team reach the final for the first time since 1988. On July 10, 2020, he scored his 50th goal for the club. On October 3, he played his 200th match for Real Sociedad, scoring a penalty in a 3–0 win.
On April 3, 2021, Oyarzabal scored the only goal in the delayed 2020 Copa del Rey final. He scored from a penalty kick, helping Real Sociedad win their first major trophy in 34 years. In March 2022, he had a serious knee injury during training. He returned to play on December 31, 2022, as a substitute in a 2–0 win. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal after his recovery.
In February 2023, Mikel extended his contract with Real Sociedad until 2028. He became the team captain in June 2023.
Oyarzabal scored his 100th goal for Real Sociedad on December 1, 2024, from a penalty kick. He played his 400th match for the club on August 30, 2025.
On March 4, 2026, Mikel scored a late penalty to help Real Sociedad reach another Spanish cup final. They beat Athletic Bilbao 2–0 overall. In the final match on April 18, he scored again from a penalty. His team won the game after a penalty shootout. He scored in all six of his career finals, winning four of them.
Mikel scored his 100th goal in the top division on May 9, 2026, from a penalty. He finished the 2025–26 season with a career-high 15 goals.
Playing for Spain
Youth and Senior Team Debuts
Mikel Oyarzabal played for Spain at different youth levels, including under-18, under-19, and under-21. When he was 19, he was called to play for the senior national team on May 17, 2016. This was for a friendly game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He made his debut twelve days later in a 3–1 win.
Major Tournaments and Triumphs
On June 10, 2019, Oyarzabal scored his first goal for the senior national team. It was in a 3–0 victory against Sweden during the Euro 2020 qualifiers. In May 2021, he was chosen for Spain's squad for the Euro 2020 tournament. He scored the final goal in a thrilling 5–3 extra-time win against Croatia. In the next round, he scored the winning penalty in a shootout against Switzerland.
Mikel was also selected for the Olympic team to play in Tokyo in 2021. He scored three goals for the team, which won a silver medal. This included a goal in the 2–1 final match loss to Brazil. In the 2021 UEFA Nations League final against France on October 10, he scored the first goal, but Spain lost 2–1.
After missing the 2022 FIFA World Cup due to his knee injury, Oyarzabal was back for Euro 2024. On June 5, 2024, he scored his first international hat-trick (three goals) in a 5–0 friendly win against Andorra. In the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, he played in all seven games. On July 14, 2024, he scored in the 86th minute of the final to secure a 2–1 victory against England, making Spain champions.
Oyarzabal was part of Spain's team for the 2026 World Cup. In their first game against Cape Verde on June 15, he had a unique moment, not touching the ball for the first 30 minutes. However, in the next match, he scored two goals and assisted another in a 4–0 win against Saudi Arabia. In the round of 32, he scored two more goals in a 3–0 win against Austria.
Playing for Basque Country
Mikel also played for the Basque Country national team. He scored on his debut in a 3–1 win against Tunisia on December 30, 2016.
Life Off the Pitch
Mikel Oyarzabal balanced his early football career with his studies. He earned a business degree from the University of Deusto. He started a relationship with Ainhoa Larrauri in 2015, and their son was born in December 2023.
Achievements and Awards
Mikel Oyarzabal has won many awards and trophies throughout his career:
Real Sociedad
- Copa del Rey: 2019–20, 2025–26
Spain U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2019; runner-up: 2017
Spain U23
- Summer Olympics silver medal: 2020
Spain
- UEFA European Championship: 2024
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2020–21, 2024–25
Individual
- La Liga Player of the Month: October 2020
- La Liga Play of the Month: March 2024 (with Mikel Merino)
