Mikel Oyarzabal is the Real Sociedad captain and Spain forward who scored the winning goal in the Euro 2024 final and helped Spain lift the 2026 FIFA World Cup, cementing his status as one of Spanish football’s most reliable big-game players.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s Biography
Oyarzabal is a one-club man in club football, having spent his entire senior career at Real Sociedad, where he now wears the captain’s armband. Off the pitch, he keeps a fairly private life, splitting time between his football career, his long-term partner, and their young son.
Early Career
Born in Eibar, Oyarzabal joined Real Sociedad’s youth academy in 2011 at just 14 years old, having also spent time in the Eibar youth system. He made his senior debut for Real Sociedad B in November 2014 as a substitute, and quickly showed his scoring touch, netting twice in a 5-0 rout just months later.
His first-team La Liga debut came on 25 October 2015, replacing Carlos Vela in a 4-0 win at Levante, launching what would become a decade-plus career with the same club.
Professional Career
Oyarzabal scored his first Real Sociedad goal in February 2016 and steadily became a key attacking figure, netting a personal-best 13 goals in the 2018-19 season. He helped the club win the 2019-20 Copa del Rey, scoring the winning penalty in the final, and later became club captain in 2023 after signing a contract extension through 2028.
A serious ACL injury sidelined him for most of 2022, but he returned to full form, reaching his 100th club goal in December 2024 and his 100th top-flight goal by May 2026, while also lifting a second Copa del Rey with Real Sociedad that season.
Internationally, he has been central to Spain’s golden run, scoring the Euro 2024 final winner and netting five goals at the 2026 World Cup as Spain claimed the trophy.
Girlfriend
Mikel Oyarzabal’s Net Worth Details
As of 2026, estimates place Oyarzabal’s net worth at around $12 million, though some tracking sites put the figure closer to $17-20 million when factoring in accumulated career earnings and endorsement income. These figures are third-party estimates rather than officially confirmed numbers, since footballers rarely disclose personal wealth.
Contract
Oyarzabal signed a contract extension with Real Sociedad in February 2023 that runs through 30 June 2028, carrying a release clause of €75 million. This deal came after several earlier extensions dating back to 2016, reflecting the club’s consistent efforts to keep him from being poached by bigger European sides.
Salary
Multiple salary-tracking sites report that Oyarzabal earns a gross base salary of roughly €3.6 million per year at Real Sociedad, which works out to about €300,000 a month or €69,000 a week, not including performance bonuses.
A separate report suggests his package could be worth closer to €6 million annually once bonuses and a 2024 salary bump are included, making him reportedly the club’s highest earner. The exact figure isn’t officially published by the club, so these numbers should be treated as informed estimates rather than confirmed facts.
Career Earnings
| Season | Club | Weekly Wage | Annual Salary | Currency |
| 2018-2019 | Real Sociedad | £37,000 | £1,924,000 | GBP |
| 2019-2020 | Real Sociedad | £38,000 | £1,976,000 | GBP |
| 2020-2021 | Real Sociedad | £36,000 | £1,872,000 | GBP |
| 2021-2022 | Real Sociedad | £38,000 | £1,976,000 | GBP |
| 2022-2023 | Real Sociedad | £36,000 | £1,872,000 | GBP |
| 2023-2024 | Real Sociedad | €69,231 | €3,600,000 | EUR |
| 2024-2025 | Real Sociedad | €69,231 | €3,600,000 | EUR |
| 2025-2026 | Real Sociedad | €69,231 | €3,600,000 | EUR |
| 2026-2027 | Real Sociedad | €120,192 | €6,250,000 | EUR |
Endorsements
Oyarzabal has a long-standing boot deal with Puma, which he has worn throughout his Real Sociedad and Spain career.
Beyond this, detailed public information about additional personal sponsorship deals is limited, and most of his commercial visibility comes through Real Sociedad and Spain national team partnerships rather than a large personal endorsement portfolio.
Career Stats
| Club/Country | Years | Appearances | Goals | Notes |
| Real Sociedad B | 2014–2016 | 13 | 3 | Reserve team spell |
| Real Sociedad | 2015–present | 450 | 136 | All competitions; club captain |
| Spain (senior) | 2016–present | 61 | 30 | World Cup 2026 and Euro 2024 winner |
| Spain U21 | 2017–2019 | 25 | 8 | Won 2019 U21 Euros |
| Spain Olympic (U23) | 2021 | 7 | 3 | Tokyo 2020 silver medal |
FAQs
1. Who is Mikel Oyarzabal?
Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte is a Spanish professional footballer, born on April 21, 1997, in Eibar, Spain. He plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Sociedad, which he captains, and for the Spain national team.
2. How old is Mikel Oyarzabal?
Mikel Oyarzabal is 29 years old, having been born on April 21, 1997. He grew up in the Basque region of Eibar, Gipuzkoa, before rising through Real Sociedad’s youth ranks.
3. How tall is Mikel Oyarzabal?
Oyarzabal stands at 5-foot-11 (1.81 m). He is a left-footed player whose game relies more on intelligent positioning, technical quality, and finishing ability than pure physicality or speed.
4. Which club does Mikel Oyarzabal play for?
Oyarzabal has spent his entire senior career with Real Sociedad, having joined the club’s youth academy in 2011 at age 14. He made his first-team La Liga debut on October 25, 2015, against Levante, and has since become the club’s captain and one of its all-time top scorers, with over 130 goals in more than 400 appearances.
5. What jersey number does Mikel Oyarzabal wear?
Oyarzabal wears the No. 10 shirt for Real Sociedad, reflecting his status as captain and creative leader. For the Spanish national team, he has typically worn No. 21 during international competitions.
6. What is Mikel Oyarzabal’s position?
He plays as a forward and is versatile enough to operate as a center forward, left winger, or second striker. His left-footed style combines composed finishing, penalty-taking reliability, and tactical intelligence in the attacking third.
7. What are Mikel Oyarzabal’s biggest career achievements?
Oyarzabal’s honors include the 2019–20 and 2025–26 Copa del Rey titles with Real Sociedad, the 2024 UEFA European Championship, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Spain. He scored the winning penalty in the 2020 Copa del Rey final and the decisive 86th-minute winner in the Euro 2024 final against England, ending Spain’s wait for a fourth European title.
8. When did Mikel Oyarzabal make his Spain debut?
Oyarzabal made his senior Spain debut on May 29, 2016, in a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina at age 19. He went on to represent Spain at multiple UEFA European Championships, UEFA Nations League editions, and the FIFA World Cup, later becoming one of the national team’s most reliable attacking players.
9. Did Mikel Oyarzabal suffer any major injuries?
In March 2022, Oyarzabal ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during a training session, an injury serious enough to rule him out of the rest of that year and cause him to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He returned to action in December 2022 and subsequently regained his place as one of Spain’s key attacking options, going on to star at Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup.
10. Does Mikel Oyarzabal have a partner and children?
Oyarzabal has been in a long-term relationship with Ainhoa Larrauri since 2015, and the couple welcomed their first child, a son, in December 2023. He has largely kept his personal life private despite his growing profile as one of Spain’s leading footballers.