Hard-working striker Mikel Oyarzabal emerges as Spain’s unlikely hero in Euro 2024 final

By CIARAN FAHEY and JOSEPH WILSON The Associated Press

Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates after winning the final match against England at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Matthias Schrader]

BERLIN (AP) — Spain’s exhilarating youngsters led the charge to a record fourth European Championship but it fell to a player who has lived through the hard side of soccer to clinch the title. Mikel Oyarzabal went on as a second-half substitute and scored the championship-winning goal when he poked in an 86th-minute winner to beat England 2-1 on Sunday. Oyarzabal says “something put me in that position to score that goal.” The 27-year-old player for Real Sociedad has been a regular – when healthy – for Spain. But he missed the 2022 World Cup with a serious leg injury. He now says “I am so fortunate to be able feel this immense joy after having gone through what I went through.”