Spain Receives Lamine Yamal Injury News Weeks Before 2026 World Cup

Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Spain Receives Lamine Yamal Injury News Weeks Before 2026 World Cup

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio G Losada | Last updated Apr 23, 2026 10:39 AM ET

Spain’s hopes for winning the 2026 World Cup title took a hit on Wednesday because of a play involving Barcelona forward and the nation's top player, Lamine Yamal.

With the World Cup fewer than 50 days away, Spain is expected to rely heavily on its young core, with Yamal emerging as one of the team’s most important contributors in the past few years.

The 18-year-old has played a key role at both club and international level already, featuring regularly for Barcelona this season despite having to deal with some fitness issues. With the Spanish club already out of all competitions except for the league, taking care of Yamal's health and availability heading into the summer was the main story surrounding the player.

Lamine Yamal of Spain during an international friendly match between Spain and Egypt.Photo by Xavi Bonilla/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images

That took a turn for the worse on Wednesday, as Lamine Yamal fell injured in a league game.

Barcelona confirmed a significant setback on Thursday morning, announcing that Yamal will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a season-ending hamstring injury during LaLiga's 1-0 win over Celta Vigo.

Yamal scored the game-winning penalty in that match before leaving the pitch shortly after, with tests later confirming the issue.

However, the news also brought clarity for Spain, as Yamal is expected to be available for the World Cup, per Fabrizio Romano, with the tournament set to start 50 days after Yamal initially suffered the injury on Wednesday.

BREAKING: Lamine Yamal will be for the rest of the season with Barcelona with the hamstring injury ❌

He’s expected to return in time for the World Cup ✨ pic.twitter.com/0x6I97m8xx
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 23, 2026

With that, Yamal should be able to play in Spain’s opening group-stage match on June 15, where they are set to face Cape Verde. Spain will also meet Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H.

Yamal has made 45 appearances for Barcelona this season, recording 24 goals and 17 assists across all competitions.

The young phenom has also been involved regularly with the national team during the past few months, appearing in two World Cup qualifiers and assisting on three goals then.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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