FIFA's 6 June interview with Mikel Oyarzabal highlighted a player who enters the World Cup as one of Luis de la Fuente's most trusted forwards. He scored Spain's winner in the UEFA EURO 2024 final and has produced 11 international goals over the last 18 months. That output matters because it is attached to a stable role rather than one isolated tournament moment.

Oyarzabal has worked with De la Fuente across youth, Olympic and senior international levels. A coach who understands a player's decisions, movement and response to different match states can use him with greater precision. That accumulated trust is difficult to capture in a highlights reel, but recruitment departments value it because it increases the probability that a player will execute a defined role.

Public market conversations often favour younger or more spectacular attackers. Oyarzabal's case shows another form of value: reliability. He can operate across the front line, press within the team structure and make decisive runs without requiring every possession to pass through him. Those qualities can improve the performance of more famous teammates.

Tournament goals would strengthen his profile, but they should still be read with context. Spain's possession, opponent strength, starting position and the quality of chances all matter. At 29, his resale curve is different from that of an emerging winger, so a good World Cup would support his sporting value more directly than it would create a large speculative premium.

The points to watch are his starting role, his movement when Spain face a low block and whether his recent international scoring continues against elite opponents. Oyarzabal demonstrates that market value is not only a ranking of individual flair. It also reflects how confidently a coach can build a demanding game plan around a player.