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The 2026 World Cup was supposed to be another step on Lamine Yamal’s path to becoming a generation-defining superstar, but there is a real threat that injury could rob the tournament of one of its biggest names.
The Spanish prodigy made everyone sit up and take notice at Euro 2024, and two years later the 18-year-old looked set to take center stage again. But maybe it’s more of a waiting game.
Yamal suffered an untimely hamstring injury during what was another La Liga title-winning campaign for the Barcelona teenage sensation. Something that seemed harmless actually turned out to be much more sinister, putting his participation in the World Cup in jeopardy.
There will therefore have been great relief when the winger was included in Luis de la Fuente’s 26-man Spain squad for the upcoming tournament, but the level of influence he will be able to have is still shrouded in uncertainty.
La Roja will desperately need to be able to call upon their attacking talisman when the competition heats up, but will the World Cup come too soon for us to see one of the series’ potential stars at his best?
Sidelined in April
This innocuous moment cast doubt on Yamal’s fitness to participate in the World Cup. Seconds after converting what proved to be the winning goal from the penalty spot against Celta Vigo on April 22, the winger waved to the bench and fell to the ground, while his teammates’ jubilation quickly turned to worry.
He has not played since, with reports at the time claiming that Barca feared he had torn his left hamstring. This would require a recovery time of up to eight weeks, with no guarantee either that he would be fit afterwards. However, the Blaugrana insisted he would be ready for the World Cup, a reflection of Yamal’s importance to the Spanish cause.
The club said at the time: “Tests have confirmed that first-team player Lamine Yamal has suffered a hamstring injury to 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.” This was echoed by his club manager, Hansi Flick.
Campaign against injuries
It was the latest setback in a season disrupted by the teenager’s injuries, despite his young years.
Yamal was also absent for five games from the start of the campaign due to pubalgia – a chronic groin problem which also hampered Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer for much of 2025-26.
Often called a sports hernia, this injury typically affects athletes who make explosive turns, such as speedy wingers. Younger players who have recently joined first-team football may also be more susceptible.
Yamal was actually at the center of a dispute between club and country in September after escalating the problem while on international duty with Spain, who were accused of failing to “take care” of the winger. He was then held out of November camp. Barça will not want a repeat, even at the World Cup.
Positive update
There was a major update on Yamal’s latest injury in late May, as he shared a video of himself back on the grass and already working with the ball at Barcelona’s training base. As if to answer any questions about his skill, the footage shows the striker brazenly flicking the ball over a training dummy before dropping it.
The message comes two days after Yamal was predictably named in Spain’s World Cup squad despite doubts over his fitness, and with almost three weeks still to go before La Roja begin their campaign against Cape Verde on June 15.
Mixed messages
World Cup history is littered with instances of managers betting on big-name players being unfit, and Yamal appears to be one of the most high-profile risks in recent memory. It has been reported that he could still be out until the third and final match of the group stage in North America, which takes place against Uruguay on June 27.
According to Sports Worldthere has been constant dialogue between Barcelona and the Spanish federation’s doctors, who reached a consensus that the teenager should not take any risks during his country’s first two matches in the tournament. However, Spain manager De la Fuente had previously hinted that he expected Yamal and others to be available from the start.
“I think we will have Lamine, Nico [Williams]and Mikel [Merino] available for the first World Cup match, and if not, we will have them for the second or third. It doesn’t pose any major problems,” he told a press conference. “Injuries put us under pressure. It is difficult to recover from all the injuries that occur today, even minor ones. »
Not obligatory?
It remains to be seen how much of a blow Yamal’s prolonged absence would be. Spain should still be confident of emerging victorious from Group H without their prodigy, and with a certain degree of comfort too.
The European champions benefited from a favorable group stage draw, 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 a part.
There should be enough cover in the team for La Roja to be able to do without him initially; Crystal Palace’s versatile striker Yeremy Pino could be asked to deputize on the right, while Osasuna’s Victor Munoz can also operate on that flank.
However, the situation is muddied 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 attacking arsenal to survive without their starting wingers.
De la Fuente selected numerous players capable of playing multiple positions, including Atlético Madrid’s Alex Baena and Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal.
Difference maker
However, Spain will definitely want Yamal back in action for the round of 16. They will most likely face the Group J runner-up in the round of 16, which means a stern test against Austria or Algeria, unless Argentina screw up to stage a storybook reunion with Lionel Messi.
Croatia or Colombia would likely wait in the round of 16, before a quarter-final against perennial dark horse Belgium. There’s a good chance De la Fuente’s men would then face France in a mammoth semi-final before potentially facing England in the final.
They may have the depth to get by without him at first, but a difference-maker 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 has already proven it at Euro 2024; after a fairly calm start to the tournament, the youngster delivered assists during the round of 16, quarter-finals
De la Fuente even hinted that Yamal could be used as a high-impact substitute if he is not fully fit. “During a call we consider all scenarios. If you win, if you lose, if the opponent ends up with 10 minutes… 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 watch
The watching world will desperately need Yamal to also return to full fitness as quickly as possible. Performers like the Barcelona sensation are the reason millions of people around the world watch the World Cup, and it would be a real shame if the tournament was deprived of one of its potential superstars for too long, or if he isn’t fully fit upon his return.
With his dazzling dribbling ability, guile and penchant for delivering seismic, game-changing moments, Yamal is capable of forging countless iconic moments single-handedly.
“He’s incredibly excited. He’s incredibly impatient. 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 seize your opportunities.
“You never know how you will perform at the next World Cup. And this is Lamine Yamal’s time. He is very good, and he will only get better if his teammates help him to give his best.”
Yamal will only turn 19 six days before the final, but this is the teenager’s chance to establish himself as the most naturally gifted player on the planet, with the eyes of the world on him. He will be determined that injuries do not mean a golden opportunity passes him by.
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 New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34), with each game streamed live and on-demand in the FOX One and FOX Sports apps. A record 40 games, 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, along with the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
