Some strikers arrive fully formed. Gorka Guruzeta didn't. He came through the Basque system, left Athletic Club, scored his way back through the second division and returned in 2022 as a better, calmer player. Four years on, he wears the No. 11 shirt at San Mamés and gives Athletic something that is harder to find than it sounds: a centre-forward you can trust every week.
He turned 30 on September 12, 2026. That makes this a good moment to take stock of what he has become, what he earns, and what he might be worth.
The Essentials
| Full name | Gorka Guruzeta Rodríguez |
|---|---|
| Born | September 12, 1996, San Sebastián, Spain |
| Age | 30 |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Height | 1.88 m |
| Position | Centre-forward |
| Club and number | Athletic Club, No. 11 |
| Preferred foot | Right |
| Contract | Reported to run until June 2028 |
| EA FC 26 rating | 78 overall, 78 potential |
| Market value (estimate) | About €5 million, mid-2026 |
| Net worth (Icon Polls estimate) | $11 million to $13 million |
Antiguoko, Vasconia and a Door That Closed
Guruzeta is a product of Basque football in the most literal sense. He played youth football at Antiguoko and Vasconia before moving into Athletic's pathway, then worked through Basconia and Bilbao Athletic, the club's feeder sides. The goals came at that level. What didn't come, at first, was a lasting place in the first team.
So he left. Spells at Sabadell and then Amorebieta followed, and for a young striker that kind of move can go one of two ways. It can quietly end a top-flight dream, or it can force a player to find out what his game really is.
Amorebieta Changed the Conversation
For Guruzeta, it went the right way. His season at Amorebieta in the Segunda División was the turning point: regular goals against grown professionals, not academy opponents. It showed his game held up when the football got rougher and the chances got fewer.
Athletic noticed. They brought him back in 2022, and rather than treating it as a homecoming lap of honour, he turned a squad opportunity into a genuine first-team role. It is a slower story than most fans are used to, which is exactly why it sticks.
What 2025/26 Actually Looked Like
In La Liga last season he scored 10 goals and added 3 assists across more than 2,300 league minutes. He also chipped in during cup and European fixtures. Those aren't numbers that win a Pichichi race, and nobody is pretending otherwise. They are the numbers of a striker a coach keeps picking.
The minutes matter as much as the goals. Guruzeta presses from the front, holds the ball up with his back to goal, and makes the diagonal runs across centre-backs that open space for wide players. When Athletic need a simple pass around the edge of the box, he tends to be there. That work rarely makes highlight reels. It does make the team function.
The Foot Problem He Played Through
The injury most associated with him came in 2025: a painful problem in the sole of his foot. He has said it bothered him for months and made even ordinary movement difficult at times. He kept working and kept contributing anyway, which told supporters a fair amount about him.
His 2025/26 workload suggests he came out the other side in decent shape. Fitness can change from one week to the next, though, so Athletic's own squad updates are the place to check before any particular match.
78 in FC 26 Feels About Right
EA rates him 78 overall with 78 potential, which is a fair read of a player at his peak rather than a project still growing. In career mode he makes sense as a reliable target man for an Athletic save or any La Liga side short on a physical No. 9. His appeal in the game mirrors real life: positioning, finishing and size, not flair. Special cards in Ultimate Team can shift things, but the base card is honest.
€5 Million on Paper, More in Bilbao
His market value was estimated at around €5 million in mid-2026. Treat that as a guide, not a price tag. A market value is not a transfer fee, and Athletic's situation makes the gap wider than usual. The club's Basque-only recruitment policy means replacing a proven local striker is genuinely hard, so a player like Guruzeta is worth more to them than to almost anyone else.
His contract is reported to run until June 2028. That leaves Athletic in no hurry and in a strong position if anyone does come calling.
Salary and Net Worth: What We Can and Can't Say
His exact salary has never been publicly confirmed. Online figures vary a lot, and footballers' pay usually includes appearance and team bonuses, image rights and tax considerations that outside estimates can't see. What can be said is that he earns a top-flight Spanish salary under a long-term deal.
Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $11 million to $13 million in 2026. That is our editorial estimate, based on his years as a professional, his Athletic contract, likely career earnings and the exposure that comes with regular La Liga and European football. Guruzeta has not published any financial details, and the range should not be read as cash in the bank.
Off the Pitch
Guruzeta keeps his personal life private. There is no verified public information about a wife or partner, and we're not going to fill that gap with guesswork. He seems happy to let his football do the talking, which is fair enough.
If you like debating which strikers deserve a place among the greats, you can vote for the best football players of all time on Icon Polls.
A Few Things People Ask
Which clubs has Gorka Guruzeta played for?
As a senior player: Basconia, Bilbao Athletic, Athletic Club, Sabadell and Amorebieta, before returning to Athletic in 2022.
How many goals did he score in La Liga in 2025/26?
Ten, along with three assists, in more than 2,300 league minutes.
When does his Athletic Club contract end?
It is reported to run until June 2028.
