18-year-old’s first World Cup appearance could be in Spain’s final group game against Uruguay on 26 June
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal is expected to miss the start of Spain’s World Cup campaign as he continues recovering from a hamstring injury suffered last month.
The 18-year-old will be unavailable for Spain’s opening group match against Cape Verde on 15 June and remains a major doubt for the second fixture against Saudi Arabia on 21 June. His first World Cup appearance could be in Spain’s final group game against Uruguay on 26 June.
Sources indicate the Spanish football federation (RFEF) has remained in regular contact with both Barcelona and the player during his recovery, with medical staff monitoring his progress closely.
Yamal suffered the injury during Barcelona’s La Liga win over Celta Vigo last month, ruling him out for the remainder of the club season. Barcelona opted for what they described as a “conservative treatment plan”, while club officials met federation representatives last week to coordinate his rehabilitation.
The winger enjoyed another standout campaign with Barcelona, helping the club retain the league title. In his third full season with the senior side, Yamal scored 24 goals and provided 16 assists in 45 appearances despite dealing with pubalgia issues for much of the campaign.
Yamal has already made 25 senior appearances for the Spanish national team, scoring six times since debuting at 16. He was also part of Spain’s victorious Euro 2024 squad, finishing with the most assists and winning goal of the tournament award.
