Lamine Yamal Admits Hamstring Injury Triggered World Cup Fear

​MADRID, SPAIN — Spanish national team sensation Lamine Yamal has opened up about the intense emotional toll of his recent fitness struggles, admitting he was deeply “afraid” of missing the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup due to a lingering hamstring injury.

​The 18-year-old Barcelona winger, who took the footballing world by storm during Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph in Germany, suffered the injury on April 22 while converting a penalty against Celta Vigo. With the global showpiece in North America fast approaching, the timing of the setback left the teenage prodigy fearing the worst.

​”Internally, I was praying it was nothing, that it was just cramp or something like that, because the World Cup was very close and I knew that a hamstring injury is never a short-term thing,” Yamal told the Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) official media channels on Sunday.

​”I was afraid it might be serious and, above all, that even if it wasn’t serious, I could suffer a setback and end up missing the World Cup.”

​Despite the initial anxiety, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente showed unwavering faith in the young forward, including him in La Roja’s final 26-man World Cup squad announced earlier this month. The selection raised eyebrows across the football landscape, particularly alongside the historic exclusion of any Real Madrid players from the national squad for the first time in World Cup history. De la Fuente has remained highly optimistic, indicating that advanced coordination with Barcelona’s medical staff suggests Yamal is on a secure path to recovery.

ADVERTISEMENT

​Giving fans a massive boost of optimism, Yamal joined his international teammates on Sunday, participating in the warm-up during Spain’s opening training session before transitioning to an individualized routine in the gym.

​”It’s also true that it helps knowing you’re going to play a World Cup, so mentally it’s like you haven’t played a single game all season, and I’m really eager to make my debut,” Yamal added, noting that lifting the iconic trophy is something he has dreamt about “a thousand times.”

​Spain is scheduled to fly out for their final pre-tournament preparations, which include warm-up friendlies against Iraq on June 4 and Peru on June 9.

​La Roja will officially launch their Group H campaign on June 15 against Cape Verde at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. While the coaching staff hopes Yamal might feature in the opener, if he is rested as a precaution, the Barcelona star is firmly expected to make his tournament debut in Spain’s subsequent group stage fixtures against Saudi Arabia on June 21 and Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay on June 26.