Did Oyarzabal steal La Roja's spotlight from Yamal at the World Cup?

Spain are preparing for a high-stakes encounter when they face Belgium on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup. The current tournament has seen a shift in the technical calculations within the Spanish camp, after striker Mikel Oyarzabal succeeded in stealing La Roja's limelight, pulling the rug — even if only partly — from under Lamine Yamal, who had been considered the sole star expected to carry the Matador side.

The language of statistics and attacking effectiveness has imposed a new reality on the Spanish squad during the tournament. The Real Sociedad captain has transformed into the "silent assassin" and the most decisive attacking pillar in Luis de la Fuente's lineup, thanks to his intelligent movement and perfect timing in settling the tournament's complex knockout matches.

Yamal, by contrast, has faced tight defensive marking that has curbed his usual attacking brilliance, compounded by the effects of a precautionary muscle injury at the start of the tournament, leaving his offensive presence less explosive and less spectacular for fans who always expect him to produce a relentless string of magical moments.

Spanish reports have focused on this tactical shift, noting that Oyarzabal's direct effectiveness — having scored two decisive braces against Saudi Arabia and Austria — has lent Spain a attacking maturity the team lacked when it relied entirely on the skills and individual flair of the young wide players who became defensive targets.

Although the numbers may favour Oyarzabal in practical terms, they could be doing Yamal an injustice, given that his role has intelligently evolved into the tactical dimension of exhausting opponents and creating vast spaces in behind for runners coming from deep.

More eyes will be on Lamine Yamal against Belgium, and on how capable he is of delivering a more effective role, raising his performance level to what was expected — particularly in difficult fixtures — and reclaiming the noise and stardom of his first-ever World Cup appearance.