Mikel Oyarzabal turned a substitute’s cameo into Spanish football history at Euro 2024, and his profile — and earnings — have only grown since.
This guide breaks down Mikel Oyarzabal’s net worth, his Real Sociedad salary, contract terms, and career earnings.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s Biography
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte |
| Date of Birth | April 21, 1997 |
| Age | 29 |
| Nationality | Spanish (Basque) |
| Height / Weight | 181 cm / 75 kg |
| Position | Forward / Winger |
| Current Club | Real Sociedad |
| Turned Professional | 2015 |
| Net Worth | Estimated at $20 Million |
| Current Salary | Approx. €6.25 million per year (2025/26) |
| Relationship Status | In a long-term relationship with Ainhoa Larrauri |
Early Life and Career
Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte was born on April 21, 1997, in Eibar, a town in Spain’s Basque Country known for its strong football culture.
He grew up immersed in the region’s grassroots academy system, a pathway that has produced generation after generation of technically sharp, tactically disciplined Basque footballers.
Oyarzabal joined Real Sociedad’s youth ranks as a boy and steadily climbed through the club’s age groups.
Unlike many young prospects who gamble everything on football early, he balanced his rise through the academy with academic study, eventually pursuing a business degree at the University of Deusto while juggling training schedules and matchdays.
That dual focus on football and education shaped the grounded, low-drama public persona he’s known for today.
His progress through Real Sociedad’s reserve side, Sanse, caught the attention of the first-team staff, and by 2015 he was training and traveling with the senior squad.
He made his first-team debut that year, becoming part of a Real Sociedad core that would stay remarkably loyal to the club over the following decade — a rarity in modern football, where top performers are routinely poached by bigger spenders.
Around the same period, he was also breaking into Spain’s youth national teams, laying the groundwork for the international career that would define the second half of his twenties.
Professional Career
Oyarzabal has spent his entire senior career at Real Sociedad, amassing well over 300 appearances and close to 100 goals across all competitions, according to Real Sociedad career stats tracked by Soccerway.
He has operated primarily as a left-sided forward or second striker, valued for his movement off the ball, composure in front of goal, and reliability from the penalty spot.
The biggest domestic moment of his Real Sociedad career came in the 2019/20 Copa del Rey final, delayed into 2021 by the pandemic, where he scored the winning goal against fierce rivals Athletic Bilbao to lift the club’s first major trophy in decades.
He has since taken on the captain’s armband at Anoeta.
On the international stage, Oyarzabal’s title-winning career with Spain is tracked by FotMob: he made his senior debut in 2016, won the UEFA European U21 Championship with Spain’s youth side in 2019, and was part of the squad that won the UEFA Nations League in 2022/23.
But his defining moment arrived at Euro 2024 in Germany. Coming off the bench in the final against England, he scored the championship-winning goal in the 86th minute — his only goal of the entire tournament — to hand Spain a record fourth European title.
His most recent contract work has come off the pitch: Real Sociedad and Oyarzabal agreed a renewal that runs through June 2028, cementing his status as one of the longest-serving and highest-paid players in the squad as he heads into the 2026 World Cup cycle with Spain.
Girlfriend
Mikel Oyarzabal keeps his personal life largely out of the spotlight.
He has been in a relationship with his longtime partner, Ainhoa Larrauri, since around 2015, after the two met during his time with Real Sociedad’s reserve team.
Both maintain private social media profiles and rarely post about their relationship publicly.
According to reporting around Euro 2024, the couple welcomed their first child in 2023 after eight years together, though the family has not publicly confirmed further details about the child.
Mikel Oyarzabal’s Net Worth Details
As of 2026, Mikel Oyarzabal’s has an estimated net worth of $20 million.
He built this wealth almost entirely through a decade of first-team contracts at Real Sociedad, supplemented by appearance fees and tournament bonuses earned with the Spanish national team, including his share of the Euro 2024 winning squad’s prize pool.
Contract
Oyarzabal signed a contract extension with Real Sociedad that runs through June 30, 2028.
According to salary tracking from Capology, he has three years remaining on a deal worth a combined €18.75 million, keeping him at the club where he has spent his entire professional career since joining the academy as a teenager.
The extension reinforced his role as team captain and one of the squad’s senior leaders heading toward the 2026 World Cup.
Salary
For the 2025/26 season, Capology lists Oyarzabal’s estimated gross fixed salary at around €6.25 million, a significant rise from earlier in his career.
Just a season prior, Goal reported his weekly wage at Real Sociedad stood at £57,894, making him the highest earner at the club at the time, ahead of teammates like Martin Zubimendi and Alex Remiro.
The jump reflects both his growing influence on the pitch and his status as a European champion.
Career Earnings By Year
| Season | Team | Estimated Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 2018/19 | Real Sociedad | ~€2.0 million |
| 2024/25 | Real Sociedad | ~€3.5 million |
| 2025/26 | Real Sociedad | ~€6.25 million |
Career Statistics
| Team | Matches Played | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Sociedad (career, all competitions) | 342 | 97 | Not officially tracked across all competitions |
| Spain National Team (as of Euro 2024) | 37 | 12 | Not officially tracked |
FAQs
What is Mikel Oyarzabal’s net worth?
Mikel Oyarzabal’s net worth is estimated at around $20 million. He built this fortune through more than a decade of contracts at Real Sociedad plus international bonuses from Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph.
How much does Mikel Oyarzabal earn at Real Sociedad?
For the 2025/26 season, his estimated gross salary is around €6.25 million. This figure comes from his current contract extension, which runs through June 2028 and is worth €18.75 million in total.
When does Oyarzabal’s Real Sociedad contract expire?
His current contract with Real Sociedad runs until June 30, 2028. He signed the extension after becoming team captain, securing his long-term future at the only club he has played for as a senior.
What is Mikel Oyarzabal’s most famous goal?
His most famous goal came in the Euro 2024 final against England. He scored the 86th-minute winner after coming on as a substitute, giving Spain a record fourth European Championship title.
Who is Mikel Oyarzabal’s girlfriend?
He has been in a relationship with Ainhoa Larrauri since around 2015. The couple are known for keeping their personal life private and reportedly welcomed their first child together in 2023.
