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The 2026 World Cup was supposed to be another milestone on Lamine Yamal’s path to becoming a generation-defining superstar, but there is a genuine threat that an injury could deprive the tournament of one of its biggest names.
The Spanish wonderkid made everyone sit up and pay attention at Euro 2024, and two years later, the 18-year-old looked poised to step back into the spotlight. But instead, it might as well be a waiting game.
Yamal suffered an untimely hamstring injury during the run-up to what was another La Liga title-winning campaign for Barcelona’s teenage sensation. Something that seemed innocuous actually turned out to be much more sinister, putting their participation in the World Cup in jeopardy.
There will have been widespread relief, then, when the winger was included in Luis de la Fuente’s 26-man Spanish squad for the upcoming tournament, but the level of influence he will be able to have is still shrouded in uncertainty.
La Roja will be desperate to call on their attacking talisman when the competition heats up, but will the World Cup come too soon for us to witness one of the show’s potential stars at his unstoppable best?
Out of play in April
It was a harmless moment that called into question Yamal’s fitness for the World Cup; Seconds after scoring what turned out to be the winning goal from the penalty spot against Celta Vigo on April 22, the winger signaled to the bench and went to the ground, as his teammates’ joy quickly turned to concern.
He has not played since, and at the time it was reported that Barça feared he had ruptured his left hamstring. That would require a recovery schedule of up to eight weeks, with no guarantee he’ll be fit thereafter. However, the Blaugrana insisted he would be ready for the World Cup, a reflection of Yamal’s importance to Spain’s cause.
The club said at the time: “Tests have confirmed that first-team player Lamine Yamal has suffered a hamstring injury in his left leg. The player will follow a conservative treatment plan. He will miss the remainder of the league season but is expected to be available for the World Cup.” Hansi Flick, director of his club, echoed this statement.
Injury Impact Campaign
This was the latest setback in what was an injury-interrupted season for the teenager, despite his tender age.
Yamal was also sidelined for five games right at the start of the campaign as a result of pubalgia, the chronic groin problem that also hampered Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer for much of 2025-26.
Often called a sports hernia, the injury typically affects athletes who do explosive twists and turns, such as extreme speedsters. Younger players who have recently moved into first-team football may also be more susceptible.
Indeed, Yamal was at the center of a dispute between club and country in September after he aggravated the problem while on international duty with Spain, who were accused of failing to “look after” the winger. He was subsequently prevented from attending the November camp. Barça will not want to repeat, not even in the World Cup.
Positive update
There was an important update on Yamal’s latest injury at the end of May, when he shared a video of himself back on the pitch and already working with the ball at Barcelona’s training base. As if to answer any questions about how clever he might be, the footage shows the attacker cheekily kicking the ball with his heel onto a training dummy before launching it.
The publication came two days after Yamal was expected to be named in the Spain squad for the World Cup despite doubts over his fitness, and when there are still about three weeks left before La Roja begins its campaign against Cape Verde on June 15.
Mixed messages
World Cup history is marked by cases of coaches betting on unfit big-name players, and Yamal looks set to be one of the most high-profile risks of recent times. It was reported that he could still be out until the third and final game of the group stage in North America, which will be against Uruguay on June 27.
According Sports WorldThere has been constant dialogue between Barcelona and the Spanish federation doctors, who have reached a consensus that the teenager should not take risks in his country’s first two games in the tournament. However, Spanish coach De la Fuente had previously suggested that he expected Yamal and others to be available from the start.
“I think we’ll have Lamine, Nico. [Williams]and Mikel [Merino] available for the first game of the World Cup, and if not, we will have them for the second or third. It doesn’t pose any major problem,” he said at a press conference. “Injuries put us under pressure. “Any injury that happens now, even minor ones, is difficult to recover from.”
There’s no need?
It remains to be seen how much of a blow Yamal’s prolonged absence will be. Spain should still be confident in emerging as Group H winners without their wonderkid, and with a degree of comfort too.
The European champions have drawn a favorable draw in the group stage, facing Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia before the relatively tougher test against Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay, by which time Yamal should be fit enough to play some role.
There should be enough coverage in the squad for La Roja to manage without him initially; Crystal Palace’s versatile attacker Yeremy Pino could be asked to substitute on the right, while Osasuna’s Víctor Muñoz can also operate on that flank.
However, the situation is confused by the fact that left winger Nico Williams is close to returning from his own hamstring problem, although Spain should still have enough in their offensive arsenal to survive without their starting wingers.
De la Fuente has selected many players who can cover multiple positions, including Atlético Madrid’s Alex Baena and Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal.
difference maker
However, Spain will surely want Yamal back in action for the knockout rounds. They will most likely face the runners-up of Group J in the round of 32, which means a tough test against Austria or Algeria, unless Argentina slip up to set up a fairytale reunion with Lionel Messi.
Croatia or Colombia would probably wait in the round of 16, before the quarterfinals against Belgium, the perennial dark horse. De la Fuente’s men will most likely face France in a mammoth semi-final before potentially facing England in the final.
They may have the depth to get by without him initially, but a player of Yamal’s caliber will be absolutely essential to their chances of success once the competition starts to heat up beyond the group stage. He already showed it at Euro 2024; After a fairly quiet start to the tournament, the youngster provided assists in the round of 16, quarterfinals.
De la Fuente has even hinted that Yamal could be used as a high-impact substitute if he is not fully fit. “In a call we consider all the scenarios. If you are winning, if you are losing, if the opponent is left with 10… There are players who can give you 20 minutes and that also has enormous value,” he said. Sport in April.
“There are players who may not be able to give you 50 or 60 minutes, but they can give you 20 very good ones. And that can be differential. There are players who can arrive just right and be decisive in the round of 16. Our priority is to arrive with the best possible team at the decisive moment.”
why we look
The watching world will also be desperate to get Yamal back to full fitness as soon as possible. Performers like the Barcelona sensation are the reason millions around the world tune in to watch the World Cup, and it would be a shame if the tournament was deprived of one of its potential superstars for too long, or if he wasn’t fully fit when he finally returns.
With his dazzling dribbling skills, trickery, and penchant for delivering seismic, game-changing moments, Yamal is able to single-handedly craft countless iconic moments.
“He’s incredibly excited. He’s incredibly anxious. He’s very young but very mature,” De la Fuente said. RTVE recently. “And he knows that this is his moment. And in life, you have to take advantage of opportunities.
“You never know how you will be at the next World Cup. And this is Lamine Yamal’s moment. He is very good and will only improve when his teammates help him perform at his best.”
Yamal won’t turn 19 until six days before the final, but this is the teenager’s chance to firmly establish himself as the most naturally talented player on the planet, with the eyes of the world on him. He will be determined that injuries do not prevent him from losing a golden opportunity.
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be streamed live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, as will the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
