Head coach Luis de la Fuente stated that he is confident Lamine Yamal will recover in time to feature in the Spanish national team’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup, thereby sending a positive signal to La Roja fans ahead of the tournament.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Coach De la Fuente confirmed that Lamine Yamal will not participate in the friendly match against Iraq taking place in A Coruna on Thursday. However, all current signs indicate that the young Barcelona talent could be ready for the clash against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta.
“If nothing changes, he could be ready to play on June 15. That does not necessarily mean he will start the match; we will have to evaluate further. Yamal might only play a few minutes, or simply train to improve his fitness for the second game. We will consider it carefully.”
Yamal suffered a left hamstring injury while successfully converting a penalty for Barcelona in a La Liga match on April 22. The 18-year-old star recently admitted he was very worried about the risk of missing the World Cup and prayed to recover in time for the tournament taking place in North America.
Despite his very young age, Yamal is still expected to spearhead Spain’s attack in their quest to conquer the world championship for the second time in history.
Besides Yamal, Coach De la Fuente also confirmed that two other players facing fitness issues, Nico Williams and Víctor Munoz, will not play in the friendly against Iraq. Additionally, the players who recently participated in the Champions League final have also been rested to ensure their physical condition.
Spain will have one final preparatory match against Peru in Mexico next Monday before officially entering the 2026 World Cup. However, De la Fuente has not yet revealed which players will feature in this contest.
In the 2026 World Cup group stage, Spain is in Group H alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. After their opening match against Cape Verde on June 15, La Roja will subsequently face Saudi Arabia on June 21 in Atlanta and Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara.
Since their coronation at the 2010 World Cup, Spain has not advanced past the Round of 16 at the world’s premier tournament. That is why De la Fuente and his squad are highly determined to change history at this year’s competition.
