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Mikel Oyarzabal may not seek the limelight, but his performances are making that increasingly difficult. The Real Sociedad captain, one of five players from the Basque club included in Spain’s Euro 2024 squad, has quietly become one of Luis de la Fuente’s most trusted players. “That’s us,” Oyarzabal told The Guardian. “We don’t like being in the spotlight.” Yet the attention is now finding him, whether he likes it or not.

As Spain prepare to face Portugal in a thrilling World Cup round-of-16 encounter in Dallas on Monday, much of the pre-match focus has been on Lamine Yamal and Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s a natural narrative: the teenage prodigy versus one of football’s all-time greats, the young heir against the ageing legend enjoying his last dance on the global stage.

But for those who have long overlooked Oyarzabal, this could be the match that redefines perceptions. At 29, the forward represents the kind of player Portugal could use right now — humble, hardworking, and relentlessly team-oriented, in stark contrast to Ronaldo’s individual brilliance.

At a tournament dominated by big names and flashy finishers, Oyarzabal seems an unlikely contender for the Golden Boot. The favourites were supposed to be Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Ousmane Dembele. Yet Oyarzabal’s scoring record suggests he deserves to be in that conversation.

It was Oyarzabal who netted Spain’s decisive goal in Euro 2024, and he found the target in five of Spain’s World Cup qualifiers. In the lone qualifier where he didn’t score, against Turkiye, he contributed three assists — underlining his all-round attacking influence.

Heading into the tournament, the Real Sociedad star had scored 12 goals in his last 11 international appearances, including one in Spain’s final warm-up game against Peru. His club form was equally impressive, finishing his most productive La Liga season with 15 goals in 34 matches, and leading Real Sociedad to Copa del Rey glory by scoring in yet another final — maintaining his perfect record of finding the net in every final he has played.

Given those numbers, it’s surprising that Oyarzabal arrived in North America with such little fanfare. Then again, the Basque forward has made a career out of staying under the radar.

His Euro 2024-winning goal typifies his subtle brilliance. After a quick pass to Marc Cucurella, Oyarzabal slipped past a distracted Marc Guehi, who looked elsewhere for danger, only to see Oyarzabal appear unmarked to convert Cucurella’s low cross past Jordan Pickford. It was a goal that encapsulated his intelligence and invisibility.

He displayed similar instincts in Spain’s 3-0 victory over Austria in the last 16. When Cucurella sent in a cross from the left, six Austrian defenders were in the box marking three Spanish players. Dani Olmo and Alex Baena were tightly covered, but Oyarzabal, standing in the centre, was completely free — and calmly slotted in the opening goal. His second of the match came in similar fashion, ghosting unnoticed through Austria’s backline to finish another Cucurella delivery, taking his tally to 17 goals in his last 16 starts for Spain.

Cristiano Ronaldo, of course, does not enjoy such anonymity. The Portuguese star remains one of the most recognisable figures in world sport, and defenders rarely lose track of him. Yet at 41, Ronaldo’s threat has diminished against top opposition. He was denied a spectacular goal against Croatia in Portugal’s round-of-32 win only by a tight offside call, and though he scored his first-ever World Cup knockout goal via a penalty in Toronto, his overall performance was poor. Even Roberto Martinez acknowledged that by substituting him with ten minutes to go.

Portugal only advanced thanks to Goncalo Ramos, the understudy who headed in a 94th-minute winner after replacing Ronaldo — a player who, despite scoring from the spot, had only one touch in the penalty area. It raised questions about Ronaldo’s current impact, especially as Portugal now face a Spanish side that hasn’t conceded a single goal at this World Cup.

Spain’s defensive perfection owes much to collective effort. As Oyarzabal explained, “Luis de la Fuente told us to work for your teammate, not yourself. Those are the values the manager embodies.” That team-first mentality has been central to Spain’s 34-match unbeaten run.

Oyarzabal epitomises that selfless philosophy. De la Fuente calls him “a complete footballer” and praises his “down-to-earth character” that makes him a cornerstone of the squad. True to form, Oyarzabal insists he doesn’t care about personal accolades. “What matters is having my family here,” he said after scoring twice against Austria, bringing his World Cup total to four, “and the most important thing is our shared objective.”

As Spain and Portugal gear up for their Dallas clash, Oyarzabal stands as the quiet antithesis of Ronaldo — modest, collective-minded, and quietly lethal. And it might just be those very qualities that allow him to steal the spotlight from one of football’s most iconic superstars.