Lamine Yamal revealed his fear of injury ahead of the World Cup: “I hoped it was nothing serious”
Uncertainty after a hamstring injury
Lamine Yamal, a forward for Barcelona and the Spanish national team, admitted that during his recovery from a hamstring injury he feared he could miss the 2026 World Cup. In a video published by the RFEF, the young international described the moment when he felt the problem and said he hoped it was not a serious injury, but only a cramp or a temporary issue. His concern was understandable because the injury occurred at the end of the club season, during the period when national-team players were already preparing for the tournament in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada. According to Barcelona’s announcement of 23 April, medical examinations confirmed an injury to the hamstring of his left leg, and the club announced a conservative treatment plan. Barcelona stated at the time that Yamal would miss the remainder of the league season, but also that he was expected to be available for the World Cup.
In an interview for the Spanish federation’s channels, Yamal stressed that he was not worried only about the possibility of a serious injury, but also about the risk of the problem returning after resuming the rhythm of matches too quickly. According to Cadena SER’s report, he said that inside he was “praying” that the injury would not be more severe and that he was aware that hamstring problems rarely mean a very short absence. That statement further explains why so much attention has been paid to his condition in recent weeks. At Barcelona and in the Spanish national team, Yamal has already become one of the most important players in the final third of the pitch, and his health has sporting importance both for the club and for head coach Luis de la Fuente. Still, according to the available information, the recovery plan did not point toward surgery, but toward a gradual return to full training.
De la Fuente included him among the 26 players
Despite the injury, Yamal was included in the Spanish squad for the World Cup that Luis de la Fuente presented on 25 May. In its announcement about the Spanish national team, FIFA stated that the head coach had chosen 26 players, including Yamal, Rodri, Pedri, Gavi, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo and other key members of the team. At the same time, FIFA recalls that national-team squads are formally provisional until the final lists are published after the submission of entries, so the precise health condition of every player remains an important part of preparations. On the senior national team’s page, the RFEF also lists Yamal among the forwards in the current convocatoria, together with players such as Ferran Torres, Oyarzabal, Borja Iglesias, Yeremy Pino, Dani Olmo and Nico Williams. This confirmed that the coaching staff sees him as part of the tournament plan, although his workload in the preparation matches will have to be managed carefully.
After announcing the squad, De la Fuente said that Spain does not want to unnecessarily force the return of injured players. According to beIN Sports’ report, the head coach said that medical reports and the planned timelines indicate that players with problems should be available for the first or, at the latest, the second match. He added that decisions would not be rushed, but also that at the World Cup a certain level of risk is sometimes accepted if the medical assessment allows it. Such wording does not mean that Yamal’s playing time is guaranteed in advance, but that the final decision will be made according to the player’s condition before each match. For a national team arriving at the tournament with major ambitions, this is a particularly sensitive issue, because he is a player who can change the rhythm of a match in one-on-one situations and open space for his teammates.
A first World Cup for a player who has already broken a series of records
For Yamal, the 2026 World Cup should be the first senior World Cup of his career. According to Barcelona’s data, he was born on 13 July 2007 in Esplugues de Llobregat, and he made his debut for the Catalan club’s first team in April 2023 against Betis at the age of 15 years, nine months and 16 days. The club also states that he became the youngest player to appear for Barcelona and that, at a very young age, he has already gone from La Masia to the status of a regular first-team player. At international level, Barcelona’s official biography emphasizes that Yamal became the youngest player and the youngest goalscorer in the history of the Spanish national team. His career is therefore entering a new phase: instead of a story about a talent who is only just breaking through, the discussion is now about a player from whom concrete impact is expected in major matches.
In the RFEF video, Yamal also spoke about the speed of his own rise, saying that he sometimes feels as if he has been playing for ten years, even though only a few seasons ago he was far from the world stage. According to Cadena SER, he recalled playing in the neighborhood and said that it still feels unusual to him that he will now be part of the biggest football tournament. In doing so, he did not try to downplay expectations, but presented them as part of the professional pressure he accepts. He said that the high level of demands helps him raise his own game and that he sees such pressure as a challenge. For the head coach, that is an important signal, because young players at major tournaments bring not only technical quality, but must also show the ability to cope with public expectations.
Spain arrive at the tournament as European champions
Spain enter the World Cup as the reigning European champions. In its official review of Euro 2024, UEFA states that Spain won their fourth European Championship title in Germany, and Yamal was chosen as the best young player of that tournament. It was precisely the success at the Euros that changed the level of expectations surrounding Luis de la Fuente’s national team. The team is no longer just a group of young and experienced players in a new cycle, but a side that will be among the national teams expected to make a deep run in North America. Yamal said in an interview with the RFEF that after the end of the European Championship the team was thinking about the arrival of the World Cup and that it is entering the tournament with the ambition of fighting for the highest goal.
That context increases the weight of every piece of injury news. The national team has been built around several players who can take responsibility in possession, pressing and transition, but Yamal brings a specific width and unpredictability on the right side of the attack. His ability to come inside, create overloads and provide assists makes him one of the most difficult players to defend against, especially against opponents who drop into a low block. At the same time, hamstring injuries in explosive wingers require caution because the strain is felt most in sprints, sudden changes of direction and shots. For that reason, it is expected that the Spanish staff will monitor his minutes during the preparation period not only through the question of readiness, but also through long-term safety throughout the entire tournament.
Group H and match schedule
According to the schedule published by the RFEF after FIFA confirmed the dates, Spain will play in Group H against Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. They will play their first match on 15 June 2026 against Cape Verde at the stadium in Atlanta, the second on 21 June against Saudi Arabia, also in Atlanta, and they will finish the group stage on 27 June against Uruguay in Guadalajara. The RFEF states that Cape Verde are appearing on the world stage for the first time, while the clash with Uruguay brings a meeting between two national teams that have already won the World Cup. The Spanish federation also recalls that the top two national teams from each group will progress to the round of 32, while an additional eight places will go to the best third-placed national teams. This is a consequence of the expanded tournament format, which FIFA says will for the first time bring together 48 national teams and include 104 matches in 16 host cities.
In their preparations for the tournament, Spain will also play friendly matches. The RFEF announced that the team will play Iraq on 4 June at the Riazor stadium in A Coruña, and the national team page also lists a match against Peru on 9 June Central European Time in Puebla, Mexico. Those matches will have greater importance than ordinary form testing, because through them the coaching staff will monitor the condition of players entering the tournament after injuries or a demanding club season. If Yamal is not used from the first minute, that would not necessarily mean that his appearance at the World Cup is in danger, but rather that his return is being managed gradually. Ahead of the tournament, the most important question is whether he can get into rhythm without additional risk of a relapse.
Caution between ambition and protecting the player
Yamal’s statement shows how delicate the period between the end of the club season and the start of a major national-team competition is. For players who carry heavy minutes at their clubs, such a calendar leaves little room for error, and every muscle injury immediately before a tournament takes on additional weight. Barcelona clearly indicated in its announcement that conservative treatment was planned, which in practice means that the return must be based on the muscle’s reaction to workload, and not only on a date in the calendar. De la Fuente’s staff therefore have to align sporting needs with the interest of not exposing the young player to excessive risk right at the start of the competition. In that sense, Yamal’s availability does not come down only to the question of whether he will be on the list, but also to the question of when and how much he can play.
For Spain, it is positive that the depth of the squad allows for different solutions in attack, but Yamal’s profile is not easy to replace. His play attracts additional defensive attention, opens space for full-backs and midfielders, and makes it harder for opponents to calmly defend wide areas. If he is fully fit, he can be one of the key players in Group H and one of the symbols of the new generation of Spanish football. If his return is slower, Spain will have to find a balance between the short-term result and the need to have him healthy in the later phase of the competition. According to the information available as of 31 May 2026, Yamal remains part of Spain’s plan for the World Cup, and his admission about the fear of injury above all shows how important appearing at a first World Cup is both to the player and to the national team.
Sources:
- FC Barcelona – official announcement on Lamine Yamal’s injury and recovery plan (link)
- RFEF – current page of the Spanish senior national team, squad list and preparation schedule (link)
- RFEF – schedule of Spain’s matches in Group H of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – announcement on Spain’s squad for the 2026 World Cup and the status of registered players (link)
- FIFA – schedule and format of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Cadena SER – report on Yamal’s statements in the RFEF video (link)
- beIN Sports – Luis de la Fuente’s statements on the status of injured players and Yamal’s fitness (link)
- FC Barcelona – official biography of Lamine Yamal and information on his development and records (link)
- UEFA – official review of Euro 2024, Spain’s title and Yamal’s award for best young player (link)