Mikel Oyarzabal: Climbing Spain’s All-Time Scoring Ranks

Oyarzabal continues to take significant strides toward a place among the legends of the national side. The Real Sociedadforward—one of Luis de la Fuente’s most trusted players, included in every squad since October 2023—is enjoying the most prolific scoring spell of his international career.

Having made his debut on 29 May 2016 against Bosnia, Oyarzabal has now earned 52 caps for Spain, scoring 24 goals. Far more than a traditional number nine, he has found the net from across the entire attacking line.

While goals have always been a defining feature of his game, the Basque forward is currently experiencing a remarkable run of form that has propelled him into the upper ranks of Spain’s all-time scorers. In his last ten international appearances, he has recorded eleven goals and six assists, making him the leading scorer of the De la Fuente era with 18 goals.

A player for the big occasions, the name Oyarzabal is already etched into some of the most illustrious chapters in Spain’s history. He scored the goal that returned Spain to the summit of European football on 14 July 2024 in Berlin, and also left his mark in the finals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the 2021 and 2025 Nations League tournaments.

With his brace against Serbia, Oyarzabal overtook Julio Salinas (22), Sergio Ramos (23), Ferran Torres (23) and Alfredo Di Stéfano (23), moving to 24 international goals.

He now has Emilio Butragueño (26), Fernando Morientes (27) and Fernando Hierro (29) within reach, while the all-time top scorers remain further ahead: David Silva (35), Álvaro Morata (37), Fernando Torres (38), Raúl González (44) and David Villa (59).

All-time top scorers – Spain national team