Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain's secret weapon at the 2026 World Cup

JAKARTA - Spain National Team (Timnas) coach Luis de la Fuente called Mikel Oyarzabal a great player among the greats.

He further said that the attacker finally got the praise he deserved after scoring two goals in the 2026 World Cup against Saudi Arabia at the weekend.

The 29-year-old scored twice and set up the opener for Lamine Yamal in a 4-0 win in Atlanta to put Spain back on track in Group H, ahead of the final group stage game against Uruguay at the Estadio Akron.

The Real Sociedad captain scored the winning goal for Spain at Euro 2024 and led his club to win the Copa del Rey last season, but has not had the same profile as teammates like Yamal and Nico Williams.

It is precisely because it is not on the radar, Luis de la Fuente makes Oyarzabal a secret weapon for the team at the 2026 World Cup, as he did before the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

"He is a great player among the greats. Finally we are starting to recognize him in Spain, it's incredible," Luis de la Fuente said at a news conference at the Guadalajara Stadium.

Oyarzabal scored six goals for Spain in World Cup qualifying and has scored 15 goals in his last 15 appearances for his country.

However, he struggled in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Cape Verde, even failing to touch the ball in the first half.

"Oyarzabal is a very intelligent person. You can see it in his game, with his intelligence, and his interpretation of the game."

"He is one of the best players in the line. There are only a few players who understand football like him. In terms of scoring goals, he is amazing," said the coach.

Meanwhile, Luis de la Fuente hinted that he would likely not make any major changes to the team that will face Uruguay on Saturday, June 27, 2026, WIB morning.

He further said that dropping Williams as a starter might be too soon as he is still behind Yamal in his injury recovery.

The match against Uruguay is important for La Roja to strengthen the status of Group H champions to avoid the possibility of meeting Argentina in the last 32.

"Obviously the performance (against Saudi Arabia) did not invite change. However, the players who came off the bench played well."

"I have seen their performances in training this week and I am happy. The level is fantastic. The players deserve the opportunity," said De la Fuente.

De la Fuente looked at the match against Uruguay with great respect. The reason is, he called himself a big fan of Uruguay coach, Marcelo Bielsa.

"I've followed his career a lot. When he was at Athletic Club (in Bilbao), I went five or six times to watch his training sessions."

"He is very innovative as a coach in many ways. For me, it is an honor and a pleasure to face him," he said.

Responding to this in his press conference later, Bielsa turned around to praise Luis de la Fuente's work with Spain.

"We have been in contact and maybe I have expressed some of my ideas. The football he has achieved with Spain is incredible."

"Every aspect of his management of the Spanish national team is very relevant. Of course it does not represent my style, the football is much more beautiful than I have ever applied with my team. What he has achieved with Spain is amazing," said Bielsa.