Mikel Oyarzabal facts for kids
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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 Real Sociedad, a top club in La Liga, where he is also the team's captain. Mikel also proudly represents the Spanish national team.
He has played his whole professional career with Real Sociedad. He has appeared in over 400 games and scored more than 130 goals for them. Mikel helped his team win the Copa del Rey twice, in 2020 and 2026, scoring in both final matches!
Mikel first played for the Spanish national team in 2016. He has played in the World Cup and two European Championships. He was a key player when Spain won Euro 2024, scoring the winning goal in the final game.
Contents
Mikel Oyarzabal's Football Journey
Mikel Oyarzabal was born in Eibar, Spain. He joined Real Sociedad's youth team when he was 14 years old, in 2011. Even as a young player, he started playing for Real Sociedad's reserve team in 2014.
He scored his first goals for the reserve team in 2015. Soon after, on October 25, he made his debut for Real Sociedad's main team in La Liga, Spain's top football league.
Mikel scored his first goal for Real Sociedad in February 2016. He quickly became an important player. He even scored two goals in a game against Granada shortly after extending his contract.
Playing in European Competitions
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Mikel played in every league match during the 2016–17 season. His team finished sixth, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Europa League, a big European competition.
He made his debut in a European match in October 2017, scoring a goal against Vardar. He continued to score many goals for Real Sociedad, including 12 goals in the 2017–18 season.
Loyalty and Big Wins
In 2018, another team, Athletic Bilbao, tried to sign Mikel. But he chose to stay with Real Sociedad, showing his loyalty to the club. He signed a new contract and continued to score many goals, setting a personal best of 13 goals that season.
Mikel played a huge part in Real Sociedad reaching the Copa del Rey final in 2020. He scored important penalty goals to help his team get there. On April 3, 2021, he scored the only goal in the final match, a penalty, to win the Copa del Rey for Real Sociedad. This was the club's first major trophy in 34 years!
In March 2022, Mikel had a serious knee injury during training. This meant he couldn't play for many months. But he worked hard and returned to play in December 2022. He even scored his first goal after recovery just two weeks later.
Becoming a Club Captain
In February 2023, Mikel signed another contract extension, showing his commitment to Real Sociedad. In June, he became the team's captain. This is a very important role, showing how much his teammates and the club trust him.
Mikel scored his 100th goal for Real Sociedad on December 1, 2024. He reached another milestone on August 30, 2025, playing his 400th game for the club.
In March 2026, Mikel scored a crucial penalty to help Real Sociedad reach another Copa del Rey final. On April 18, 2026, he scored again in the final against Atlético Madrid. Real Sociedad won the trophy after a penalty shootout. This was his sixth final, and he scored in all of them!
He also scored his 100th goal in Spain's top division on May 9, 2026. Mikel finished the 2025–26 season with a career-high of 15 goals.
Playing for Spain
Mikel Oyarzabal played for Spain's national youth teams, including the under-18, under-19, and under-21 squads.
When he was 19, in May 2016, he was called to play for the senior Spanish national team. He made his debut in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Big Tournaments and Key Goals
Mikel scored his first goal for Spain in June 2019 during a qualifying match for UEFA Euro 2020. He was part of the squad for the Euro 2020 finals. He scored an important goal in extra-time against Croatia in the round of 16. He also scored in a penalty shootout against Switzerland.
In 2021, Mikel played for the Olympic team at the Tokyo Olympics. He scored three goals, helping Spain win a silver medal. He scored in the final match against Brazil.
He also scored in the 2021 UEFA Nations League final against France.
After recovering from his knee injury, Mikel was selected for UEFA Euro 2024. He scored his first international hat-trick in a friendly game against Andorra before the tournament. He played in all seven games for Spain, who became the champions! On July 14, 2024, he scored the winning goal in the final against England, securing a 2–1 victory.
Mikel was also part of Spain's team for the 2026 World Cup. He scored two goals and made an assist in a 4–0 win against Saudi Arabia. He scored another two goals in the round of 32 against Austria.
Playing for Basque Country
Mikel also played for the Basque Country national team. He scored a goal in his first game for them in December 2016, helping them win 3–1 against Tunisia.
Life Off the Field
Mikel Oyarzabal balanced his early football career with his studies. He earned a business degree from the University of Deusto. He has a son, born in December 2023, with his partner Ainhoa Larrauri.
Achievements and Trophies
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 Awards
- La Liga Player of the Month: October 2020
- La Liga Play of the Month: March 2024 (with Mikel Merino)
See also
In Spanish: Mikel Oyarzabal para niños
