Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte was born on 21 April 1997 in Eibar, in the Basque Country of Spain. He came through the youth academy of Real Sociedad, making his senior debut for the club in 2015 at just eighteen years old, and has remained at the San Sebastián club throughout his senior career — a rare loyalty in the modern transfer market and a testament to the deep connection between the player and the club.
At Real Sociedad he has accumulated more than 300 senior appearances, winning the 2019-20 Copa del Rey alongside Álex Remiro and becoming the club's all-time top scorer in La Liga. His versatility as a left-sided forward who can operate as a wide attacker, a second striker or a false nine, combined with his technical precision and leadership, has made him the defining figure of Sociedad's modern era. He suffered a serious knee injury — rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament — in March 2022 and missed most of that year, but returned stronger in 2022-23 to reclaim his place as one of La Liga's finest forwards.
In the 2024-25 season he continued to lead Sociedad's attack with his customary blend of technical dribbling, creative link-up play and decisive finishing. He has been the focal point around which Imanol Alguacil and his successors have structured the team's offensive movement, and his contract with the club extends well beyond 2026.
For Spain he debuted in 2016 and has been a senior fixture for nearly a decade. The defining moment of his international career came at UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany, where he came off the bench to score the winning goal in the final against England — a composed finish in extra time that secured Spain their fourth European Championship. He was a key member of Spain's run to the Euro 2024 title and remains central to the plans for the 2026 World Cup.
Standing 1.82 m, Oyarzabal is a left-footed forward whose combination of technical refinement, intelligent movement and ice-cold finishing draws frequent comparisons with Xabi Alonso's former Sociedad team-mate, and with the clinical effectiveness of David Villa in terms of left-footed precision. He is one of the most complete Spanish forwards of his generation.