Mikel Oyarzabal Named the Best Forward of the 2026 World Cup

Spain national team forward Mikel Oyarzabal revealed who he considers the best forward at the 2026 World Cup.

The Spanish footballer chose Lionel Messi for this role, emphasizing that it is difficult to fit the Argentine star into the framework of an ordinary forward.

"Messi is the very essence of football"

According to Oyarzabal, it would be wrong to evaluate Messi solely as a forward.

"I wouldn't call Lionel Messi a pure forward, because he represents the very essence of football. But my choice would still be Messi," his words were reported by COPE.

Messi leads the tournament

Currently, the Argentina national team captain is the most productive player at the 2026 World Cup.

The 39-year-old forward has appeared in four matches and managed to score seven goals.

This result has made Messi the main favorite in the World Cup top scorers race.

Oyarzabal is also performing at a high level

Mikel Oyarzabal himself is also performing productively at the tournament.

The Spanish forward has scored four goals in four games and currently sits fifth in the World Cup top scorers list.

Nevertheless, Oyarzabal deemed the title of best forward worthy of one of his rivals — Lionel Messi.