Spain is entering the final stage of preparations for the 2026 World Cup, with the squad announcement set for next Monday. Still, there is some uncertainty about one of its key attacking options ahead of the opening match scheduled for June 15.
The one-time world champions are set to begin their group-stage campaign against Cape Verde in a little under a month, with two additional matches already scheduled against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay later in the group stage.
According to a new report by The Athletic, emerging on Monday, written by Pol Ballús and Colin Millar, Spain superstar Lamine Yamal is expected to miss the opening fixture as he recovers from a late-season hamstring injury.
“Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal is expected to miss the start of Spain’s World Cup campaign as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury,” the report stated.
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The report added that the 18-year-old is “set to be sidelined for Spain’s group-stage opener against Cape Verde on June 15” and that, “at this stage, is a major doubt for their second match against Saudi Arabia on June 21.”
Yamal suffered his injury during a La Liga match against Celta Vigo when Barcelona had yet to clinch the title. The injury ruled him out for the remainder of his club's season, with Barcelona indicating at the time that he would follow a conservative treatment plan so he could be ready for the World Cup.
Officials from the Spanish Football Association have remained in contact with Barcelona, with staff members making regular visits to monitor his progress, per The Athletic.
Despite the setback, Yamal’s role within Spain remains significant, and his availability could very well affect how far the country goes in the upcoming World Cup.
Yamal made 45 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona this season, scoring 24 goals and assisting on 16 more. He also has six goals and 11 assists in 25 caps for Spain since making his debut with the senior squad.
Spain is scheduled to play two friendlies before the tournament, facing Iraq on June 4 and Peru on June 8, before announcing its final 26-man squad on May 25. Yamal will make the roster but won't be available for any of Spain's next three games, including the World Cup opener mid-June.
