How Oyarzabal shows Spain are more than just Yamal - Azpilicueta

How Oyarzabal shows Spain are more than just Yamal - AzpilicuetaPublished26 June 2026, 13:25 BST3 CommentsUpdated 33 minutes agoWhen people talk about Spain winning this World Cup, of course they point to Lamine Yamal as being the key.But you cannot win a World Cup on your own, especially this one with an extra game, probably some extra time in the knockout rounds, plus the heat and all the travelling as well.So, the important thing for La Roja head coach Luis de la Fuente is that, along with Lamine Yamal, he has the team and the squad he needs for the next month.When Spain won the 2024 European Championship, De la Fuente used all 23 outfield players in his squad during the seven matches. Everyone will have to be ready this time too.As players, you always want to play every game but in any tournament like this you never know when the crucial moment can come for you to make the difference.For Mikel Oyarzabal at Euro 2024, that moment came when he came off the bench to score the winner in the final against England.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Oyarzaba replaced Alvaro Morata in the 68th minute of the final of Euro 2024, and scored Spain's winner in their 2-1 win in the 86th minuteHis 'golden' goal was the only one he scored in the Euros and, while Oyarzabal played in every game in that tournament, he only started one - the last group game against Albania when we had already secured top spot.But, when he was needed, he was ready and since then he has not stopped scoring for Spain.He is 29 and is not celebrated like Kylian Mbappe or Harry Kane as one of the best centre-forwards in the world, but he had a strong season with Real Sociedad in La Liga and he has an incredible record with the national team.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Going into the World Cup, Oyarzabal had been directly involved in 19 goals in his last 13 international appearances (13 goals, six assists) which was more than every other European player in the same period othe...