Lamine Yamal unlikely to start in Spain’s next FIFA World Cup 2026 match; Here’s why | Other Sports News

Barcelona and Spain wunderkind Lamine Yamal has admitted he is not yet 100% fit and is highly unlikely to start in La Roja’s second FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage match against Saudi Arabia on Sunday. 

The 18-year-old Yamal, one of world football’s brightest talents, suffered a left hamstring injury in late April while playing for Barcelona. He missed the end of the club season but followed a conservative recovery plan coordinated between club and national team medical staff. 

Speaking to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE ahead of the match at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Yamal preached caution over his recovery timeline, emphasizing that rushed decisions could backfire.

“I’m fine, I feel good, but it’s still too soon. It’s unnecessary to take risks. I’m going through an adaptation process, and it’s not the time to play a full match yet. But I can play as many minutes as the coach wants,”  Yamal said. 

Spain currently sit level on one point with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay after the opening round of matches. The goalless draw against the African debutants has raised some questions about La Roja’s attacking fluency, particularly in the absence of key players at full fitness. 

A win against Saudi Arabia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium would put Spain in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages. The final group game is against Uruguay on June 26.

Despite the external anxiety surrounding Spain’s lack of goals, Yamal urged fans and media not to panic, pointing out that several tournament favorites have started slow.  He also noted that fellow winger Nico Williams, who also arrived at the tournament carrying an injury, is progressing well.  

“Physically, [Nico] is even better than me. We’re not in a rush,” Yamal said. 

“We have a great team with top-level players and we have to go step by step. There was a bit of a fuss over a draw, but in the end, lots of teams have struggled in the first round – it doesn’t mean anything,” he  added. 

While Yamal is expected to once again feature as a second-half substitute, Spain will have to find an alternative route to goal if they want to ignite their World Cup campaign on Sunday.