The great debate surrounding the Spanish national team going into the World Cup focuses on the number nine position. In the summer of 2024, as La Roja blitzed their way to the Euro 2024 title, that spot had a clear owner – Alvaro Morata. The veteran captain of the side was by no means a prolific goalscorer, notching just once, but earned the respect of his teammates, and carried how the necessary duties with aplomb.

Now, there are further doubts. Last year Morata struggled to produce the goods at AC Milan before an equally unimpressive spell on loan at Galatasaray in the second half of the season. Joining Como this year, Morata is yet to make a spot in the side his own, and for the first time since the Euros, was left out of the Spain squad for performance reasons.

The ‘issue’ is that there is no obvious replacement for Morata coming through the ranks – or at least no obvious number nine. The concept of the false nine repopularised by Pep Guardiola in 2009, and adopted by Vicente del Bosque’s side for their triumph at Euro 2012, has been the subject of much essay pay over the years since, with some singing its merits, and others rolling their eyes at it.

The thing about Mikel Oyarzabal, is that he is not exactly a quintessential number nine, but neither is he sufficiently off-piste enough to be declared false. The Basque forward’s own contrasting club form, where he has scored just once from open play, makes his form for Spain all the harder to believe.

In his last seven Spain appearances, Oyarzabal has started and scored six goals and given five assists, numbers surpassing any Spain forward of recent times. Excellent in his link-up play and movement, he has also shown sufficent nose for goal in the box to suggest he can be on the end of the numerous moves La Roja put together ending in a cross or a cutback from the by-line.

Add in to the picture the fact that Samu Aghehowa, perhaps the most obvious Morata heir, has been up and down in his opening Spain appearances, and the fact that Ferran Torres is like Oyarzabal, a converted centre-forward, increasingly it looks likely that de la Fuente will start without a pedigree ‘9’. On the evidence, Spain neither need to, nor can they contemplate dropping Oyarzabal in this form. De la Fuente will want one in his squad for the World Cup, a spot that Aghehowa, Morata and now Borja Iglesias will compete for, but what was once a feature in his sides looks as if it may be no more.