Oyarzabal snubbed from 2026 Ballon d'Or: De la Fuente cries foul

Mikel Oyarzabal has not made the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with the ceremony set to take place on 26 October in London — an omission that Spanish manager Luis de la Fuente publicly denounced at a press conference.

The Real Sociedad forward was one of Spain’s standout performers at the 2026 World Cup. With five goals, he shares the record for the most goals scored by a Spanish player in a World Cup with Emilio Butragueño and David Villa. He notably scored a brace against Austria in the round of 16, then converted a decisive penalty against France in the semi-final. He also won the Copa del Rey with Real Sociedad during the same season.

“Honestly, I would say that Mikel Oyarzabal is missing from the list. The person who was supposed to write down the names must have dropped his candidacy on the ground and they didn’t include it,” De la Fuente said ironically, while himself nominated for best manager of the season. The coach had previously shown his support for “made in Spain,” believing that a Spanish player — Rodri or Lamine Yamal — should win the trophy.

Oyarzabal’s absence is not the only one sparking debate in Spain: Raphinha’s exclusion had already caused controversy at Barcelona. The France Football jury, however, selected Julian Quinones, the Mexican winger who scored four goals at the World Cup and now plays in Saudi Arabia.

Yangel Herrera, Oyarzabal’s teammate at Real Sociedad, backed his manager: “He should have been there. He had a great year, won a major title with us, went to the World Cup, was very important for the world champions and deserved to be nominated.”