Before every Spain game at this World Cup, one name has dominated the back of shirts worn by fans attending matches — Lamine Yamal.
But it is Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal who has arguably shone the brightest for the reigning European champions so far in the tournament.
The 29-year-old scored twice as Spain beat Austria 3-0 in the last 32 at Los Angeles Stadium to secure their first knockout win in 16 years.
That double extended his stunning run to 17 goals in his last 16 international starts, with four goals now scored at this World Cup alone.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague told BBC Radio 5 Live that Oyarzabal possesses a rare quality that sets him apart from his team-mates in big moments.
“Mikel Oyarzabal is the invisible man, he has scored in every final he has ever played,” Balague said, adding that he is “one of the most intelligent players we have.”
Balague also noted that before this tournament, Oyarzabal had scored 12 goals in 12 international appearances, with his last two seasons representing the best of his career.
Oyarzabal missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, making his current form all the more remarkable.
Since the start of last year, the only European player with more international goals than Oyarzabal is Norway striker Erling Haaland, who has scored 22.
He also became the first Spanish player to score twice in a World Cup knockout match since Emilio Butragueno netted against Denmark in the last 16 of the 1986 tournament.
Former Spain defender Cesar Azpilicueta highlighted how Oyarzabal’s positional evolution has been central to his recent success for the national side.
“A few years ago, Oyarzabal was playing a bit more on the right wing and he has transitioned more into the middle,” Azpilicueta told BBC One.
Yamal’s ability to unsettle defences with his dribbling and ball control has also created the space Oyarzabal needs to operate effectively as a central striker.
Former Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger explained it simply: “When you have someone in your team like Lamine Yamal who attracts so much attention, you know you will get more space.”
Oyarzabal is also a rare one-club man in modern football, having spent his entire career at Real Sociedad, where he scored 15 league goals last season.
He has spoken about how playing hockey as a youngster first ignited his instinct for scoring, saying: “I always had this voice in my head, ‘It doesn’t matter if you missed one — there will be more.'”
“I could smell goals, and that voice was always in my head,” he added, explaining the mentality that continues to drive him at the highest level.
Oyarzabal also reflected on the demands of playing as a striker: “If you play higher up the pitch, and especially if you’re a striker like myself, it all comes down to a few moments.”
Spain have now scored eight times in four matches at this tournament and are yet to concede a single goal, with a last-16 tie against either Portugal or Croatia next.
Former England striker Dion Dublin believes Spain are far from their peak, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “I think they have a lot more to offer which is a frightening thing for the rest of the teams in the competition.”
