Mikel Oyarzabal (foto: Getty Images)
Who is Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain's hero in the European Championship final in Germany?
Four minutes before the end of the European Championship final between Spain and England, it seemed that extra time was inevitable. The score was 1-1, as Spain's dominance had only been rewarded with one goal. The English had once again shown an incredible ability to survive despite playing unconvincingly. Then it happened. Catalan Marc Cucurella broke down the left, crossed the ball, and the Basque Mikel Oyarzabal was in the right place to secure Spain's record fourth European Championship title.
"I don't know if it was karma, destiny, or something else, but something put me in that position to score that goal," he said after the match.
The fact that the most important goal of the tournament was scored by a player who played in all seven matches but only started once, highlights just how much of a team effort Spain's victory was. Some players stood out, but the Spanish team was primarily a well-oiled unit that lifted certain individuals. And in the end, the hero was the 27-year-old captain of Real Sociedad, who had come up through all the youth categories of the Spanish national team.
Although the left-footed attacking midfielder and forward Oyarzabal has already played 377 official matches for Real Sociedad, he remains relatively unknown to the broader football public who do not follow La Liga closely. So who is this Basque who crowned Spain?
Mikel Oyarzabal Urarte was born on April 21, 1997, in the Basque town of Eibar, which has only 27,000 inhabitants. He took his first football steps at local club SD Eibar, and at the age of 14, he moved to the academy of the much larger Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, the third-largest Basque city. He made his senior debut in November 2014 at 17, playing for Sociedad's B team in the third division. A year later, he debuted for the first team in La Liga.
The young forward's talent was evident from the start, representing Spain at all youth levels (U-18, U-19, U-21). In 2016, at the age of 19, he made his debut for the senior national team in a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina, under coach Vicente del Bosque. He scored his first international goal three years later in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Sweden.
The first major tournament he participated in was Euro 2020, where Spain reached the semi-finals before losing to Italy on penalties. He scored two goals in that tournament. He then competed in the Olympics three years ago in Tokyo, winning a silver medal. The coach of the Spanish Olympic team at that time was Luis de la Fuente, and his teammates included Cucurella, Merino, Pedri, and Olmo.
Coach Luis Enrique would surely have taken him to the World Cup in Qatar two years ago, but Oyarzabal injured his left knee just before the tournament and had to rest for several months.
But all that is now forgotten, as Oyarzabal, one of five Sociedad players in the Spanish national team, has become a Spanish national hero. In this tournament, he mainly came on as a substitute for captain Alvaro Morata. De la Fuente values him highly for his speed, work ethic, and calmness under pressure. "You can always rely on Mikel," said the Spanish coach. "We've been together for nine years, and Mikel will never let you down. He can play on the wing or as a central striker, as he did today. Today he scored, but he always contributes to the team."
Interestingly, the fact that a Basque scored such an important goal for the Spanish national team is not liked by everyone in the Basque Country. In the hometown of Oyarzabal's mother, Elorrio, unknown individuals wrote on the steps of the local church, Basilica de la Purisima Concepcion de Laudio, that Oyarzabal and Merino are traitors for playing for Spain.
This was Oyarzabal's 12th goal in 37 appearances for La Roja and will likely remain the most important goal of his career, even more significant than the iconic winning goal in the 2020 Copa del Rey final for Real Sociedad against Basque rivals Athletic Club.
This new, fresh, multicultural Spanish team, featuring Catalans, Basques, descendants of immigrants (Yamal and Nico), and sympathizers of extreme parties (Dani Carvajal), is characterized by an incredible team spirit that must eventually crystallize in one hero who decides the game. In the final, it was the diligent and tireless Basque Mikel Oyarzabal, who has now written his name in golden letters in the history of Spanish football.