Lamine Yamal injured before World Cup: Spain's nightmare

If there's one word every Spain supporter dreads in a World Cup year, it's "hamstring". And history's repeating itself. Lamine Yamal, just turned 18, is dealing with a hamstring injury that will keep him out of Spain's first two matches at the 2026 World Cup.

Spain kick off on 15 June against Cape Verde and play 21 June against Saudi Arabia. Both games without the best young player on the planet. The third match, against Uruguay on 26 June, would be the comeback target.

The silver lining, and it's genuinely silver, is that Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia are theoretically the softest touches in Group H. If Spain get through without Lamine while the other stars fire on all cylinders—Pedri, Morata, Olmo, Nico Williams—the Barcelona wizard arrives fresh for the business end.

Luis de la Fuente will announce the squad on 25 May. Yamal will be in it. The question isn't if he goes, but when he'll be fit to play. Spain have enough talent to navigate a group without their superstar. What they can't afford is losing him for the rest of the tournament.

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