When Mikel Oyarzabal came off the bench to sweep home the winning goal for Spain against England in the final of Euro 2024, it was the ending. But maybe it was also the beginning for a new-look team that could follow it up at this summer’s World Cup.
Alvaro Morata was Spain's captain in Germany two years ago but finds himself out of the squad after failing to score a single goal for Como in Serie A this past season. Oyarzabal has seized his chance, scoring 13 goals in his 16 caps since that evening in Berlin.
A one-time winger at Real Sociedad, the 29-year-old forward has been reimagined in a central role and there are those who believe he could be one of the stars of the World Cup. "Oyarzabal will surprise a lot of people," Gaizka Mendieta tells Sky Sports .
Mendieta, who played for Spain at the 2002 World Cup, knows that the eyes of the world will be elsewhere. "People will be thinking about Lamine Yamal, all the Barca guys. But Oyarzabal just won the cup with Real Sociedad and has improved his game a lot."
Remarkably, he already ranks among the all-time top 10 goalscorers for the Spain men's national team, leapfrogging Alfredo Di Stefano with a brace against Serbia in March. His strike rate for Spain is better than Emiliano Butragueno, Raul and Fernando Torres.
"He used to play more in the wider areas," explains Mendieta. "Now he is playing more centrally and he is scoring goals in key games. The work ethic that he has is unbelievable. He is not a big name among the fans but I think he is a fantastic player."
With Lamine Yamal in the squad, it is no wonder that the attention is elsewhere. Barcelona's boy wonder will turn 19 during the tournament and with former Ballon d'Or winner Rodri also in the squad, Spain are favourites to win the World Cup for a reason.
But what really elevates them is the growing realisation that the once unsung heroes are also world class. As well as Oyarzabal, Fabian Ruiz is another who has stepped into the limelight by winning the Champions League back-to-back with Paris Saint-Germain.
Fabian arguably outshone Rodri at Euro 2024, despite the Manchester City midfielder being named player of the tournament. Since his success with PSG, this late bloomer is finally getting the credit that he deserves. "I love everything about him," says Mendieta.
"For someone of his height, because he is a big guy, he is very dynamic too. The image of him that comes into my head with him is when he finds himself surrounded by players and he just spins around and away. He is very agile for someone of his size.
"He can score goals, he can play in different positions. He can play at the base of the midfield or he can play as a No 10. He is a fantastic player. Unluckily for him, the competition in midfield is tough but now his time has come and he is proving his value."
A midfield trio of Fabian, Rodri and Pedri oozes class and means Luis de la Fuente has enough tactical flexibility to trouble the best of opponents. With Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal on the wings, Oyarzabal is unlikely to be short of service this summer.
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Spain are technically unbeaten in their last 31 competitive matches - the penalty shoot-out defeat to Portugal in the Nations League final last year not blemishing this record. "They have been very consistent in performances and results," says Mendieta.
He talks of a team that has "a lot of confidence in the way they play, the way they do things" and a group that includes "very young players but a lot of character" as well. "If there is a crack somewhere then teams will expose it. But it is a very solid team."
The doubts with Spain stem from this fear that the squad might not be arriving at this World Cup in optimum condition. Rodri, still the key figure in midfield, has had a stop-start season with City. Fabian himself is only now feeling his way back to full fitness.
Lamine Yamal had an injury scare at the end of the season with Barcelona, while Williams has missed more matches than he has played this year for Athletic Club. Half the team. Half the team come into this with some minor concerns surrounding them.
"If we are at our best and we get the players at the level they should be then it is a very well-balanced team," says Mendieta. "But you can have injuries." The good news for Spain is that there is undoubtedly a depth to the squad that gives De La Fuente options.
There is the Barcelona trio of Dani Olmo, Gavi and Ferran Torres who can come in. The Arsenal pair of Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino can contribute too. The lesson of Oyarzabal's intervention at Euro 2024 is that Spain always have someone ready to step up.
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Sources: Sky Sports
