Oyarzabal: “There will always be opinions, but we are confident in knowing that we deserve to be here”

Spanish international footballer Mikel Oyarzabal has assured that he feels “valued and respected by his teammates” on the national team, with everyone being “confident in knowing” that they deserve to “be” in the 2026 FIFA World Cup to “help the team” because “it is what is important” in search of the second title.

“I feel valued and respected by my teammates, by the coaching staff and, in the end, if we are here it is also because the coach has decided that we can help and that is what I am left with and what is worth it to me. Surely there will always be many opinions, but I think that we are confident in knowing that we deserve to be here and that we can help the team, which is the important thing,” declared Oyarzabal from Chattanooga (Tennessee) after presenting a Google Gemini sponsorship.

“When you arrive at a new place, and having the tools we have like Google Gemini to be able to search for things to do, plans that they can recommend to you and having the free hours that we can have here many times in the afternoons, then search. If not, it can help you to inform yourself and to see what plans you can make these days,” said the ‘Red’ forward about how he had used that digital resource.

At that promotional event he was accompanied by also attacker Borja Iglesias. “I think there is little to say about Borja. Everyone knows him and the importance he now has here in this group is tremendous. His way of treating others and his way of working for and for his teammates, I would stick with that,” he spoke about the virtues of the ‘Panda’.

“I would like to have his body, his way of playing on his back. I think it is something that is being lost more and more and there is less of it. And I think it is also something that can be very valuable in a competition like this. I am sure that we are all going to have our opportunity and our minutes and we are going to be important,” Oyarzabal stressed about the tournament.

And he himself, despite being a key player in Spain, does not appear among the most notable figures by Gemini for this World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. “I think what he says is right. The best are those and there is no doubt because they are differential,” he alluded to Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.

“I am happy with what I have done, with what I do and I am going to try to follow the same path, which is to help the team, to help the group in one way or another, that what matters to me is the team and that it goes well collectively,” he completed his answer honestly.

Then Oyarzabal chose a differential player among all the ‘Roja’ attackers. “I’ll stick with Ferran. Borja and I are here, who is one of those who may have to play up front alongside Ferran and some other teammate who at some point may do so, so I think we are all going to be important,” repeated the Real Sociedad captain.

Finally, he analyzed the role of favorites. “We can be on that list. And hey, I think it also speaks of the good work that has been done, of what we have been doing in recent years and I think there is no denying that we can be on that list. But that is of no use on the field. In the end we have to demonstrate on the green, just as we have been doing in recent years, and we will try to be on that list, more than anything also so that we can be in the final phases,” Oyarzabal concluded.