“The star that unites us”: Mikel Oyarzabal & Fernando Llorente

Luis de la Fuente and Vicente del Bosque — the current national team coach and the manager who led Spain to World Cup glory in South Africa 2010 — featured in the first episode of “La estrella que nos une”, while Marc Cucurella and Joan Capdevila — two of the most iconic full-backs in the history of the national team — hosted the second chapter of this sponsored video podcast.

In this latest edition, two of the most prolific forwards in Spanish football in recent decades reflect on their experiences wearing the national team shirt, sharing memories, anecdotes, and insights from their successful international careers.

Fernando Llorente represented Spain between 2008 and 2013, playing a key role in a historic generation that took Spanish football to the pinnacle of the world game. He scored seven goals in 24 appearances and won both the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Mikel Oyarzabal is currently enjoying one of the most prolific periods of his career. At 29, the Eibar-born forward has completed his highest-scoring season at club level with Real Sociedad, netting 18 goals. Internationally, he has scored ten goals in his last nine matches, becoming the top scorer of the Luis de la Fuente era with 18 international goals.

Oyarzabal — whose name is already etched into one of the most iconic moments in Spanish football history after his 86th-minute goal against England in the Euro 2024 final — now aims to continue the winning legacy established by the 2010 generation. Alongside the rest of De la Fuente’s squad, he seeks to restore Spain to the summit of world football two years after winning the European Championship.

With optimism intact and historic triumphs serving as inspiration, Spain embarks on a new journey in pursuit of its second star. A challenge that connects generations of internationals such as Fernando Llorente and Mikel Oyarzabal, whose conversation highlights how the star on the crest remains the link between yesterday’s legacy and today’s ambition.

The Spanish national team will begin its FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign on Monday 15 June at 12:00 local time (+6 from mainland Spain), facing Cape Verde in Atlanta.