Whenever Spain play in a final, Mikel Oyarzabal has a habit of making the difference.
The Real Sociedad forward has scored in every final he has played as a professional. That remarkable record will face another test when Spain meet Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final on Monday at 1:00am Bangladesh time.
Oyarzabal has built a reputation as one of Spain’s most reliable players in the biggest matches. He has scored 30 goals for his country and recently set a new record by scoring 14 goals for Spain in a single season.
The 29 year old now has another milestone within reach. If he scores against Argentina, he will become the first Spain player to score six goals in a single World Cup.
He is already level with Emilio Butragueno and David Villa, who each scored five goals in one World Cup campaign.
Oyarzabal’s greatest strength is his calmness under pressure.
He has scored in two Copa del Rey finals for Real Sociedad. Both goals came from the penalty spot. He has also found the net in two UEFA Nations League finals, a UEFA European Championship final and an Olympic final.
His latest final goal came against France in the World Cup semi final. He confidently converted a penalty despite goalkeeper Mike Maignan diving the right way.
Many of football’s greatest names never managed to score in every final they played. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Pele, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Johan Cruyff, Gerd Muller and Eusebio all fall short of Oyarzabal’s remarkable record.
Despite his achievements, Oyarzabal has never been the loudest star on the pitch. He prefers to let his performances do the talking.
Now he stands one match away from adding another chapter to his career.
Spain hope his habit of delivering in finals continues against defending champions Argentina. Another goal from Oyarzabal could help Spain lift the World Cup and complete one of the finest stories of the tournament.
