2026 World Cup: Barcelona have reportedly reached an agreement with Spain on Lamine Yamal’s playing time

Lamine Yamal has become one of Barcelona’s best players, imposing as the team’s top scorer with 24 goals. However, he suffered a muscle tear that brought his season to an end and raised concerns ahead of the 2026 World Cup. While Spain are planning to call him up, the Blaugrana are pushing for a more cautious approach, reportedly reaching an agreement with the national team over the management of the 18-year-old star’s playing time.

According to Sergi Castillo, via Diario Sport, Barcelona and the RFEF have held several meetings to address Lamine Yamal’s recovery. In an effort to prioritize the 18-year-old star’s health, head coach Luis de la Fuente has promised the Blaugrana that he will manage his minutes and use him as an impact substitute during the group stage, allowing him to build rhythm. With this approach, he could be in full form for the knockout stages.

With Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia as their first opponents at the 2026 World Cup, Spain may not face major difficulties even with Lamine coming from bench. Instead, head coach Luis de la Fuente could opt for Yeremy Pino in the starting lineup, as he has been performing well in the Premier League. However, they will face Uruguay in the third match, which presents a tougher challenge, making the potential involvement of the 18-year-old star potentially decisive.

Even though Lamine Yamal’s injury initially appeared to be quite serious, he has already made notable progress in his recovery. According to Santi Ovalle, a specialist in Barcelona-related news, the 18-year-old star is already training in the gym and back on the pitch, marking significant improvement. Despite this, head coach Hansi Flick will not include him in the upcoming matches, as the club aims for him to fully recover.

Lamine Yamal’s heavy workload raises injury fears at Barcelona

Lamine Yamal has been one of Barcelona’s most heavily used players, logging 3,702 minutes. Alongside this, he has endured the most injury-hit season of his career, with four setbacks. Beyond that, the main concern is that the 18-year-old star could arrive at the 2026 World Cup without adequate rest and with a physical condition that raises serious doubts. As a result, he risks suffering further injuries during the 2026–27 season.

Even before his muscle tear, legend Ruud Gullit had already warned that the heavy workload could affect Lamine Yamal, as it did with Pedri and Gavi. After the 2026 World Cup, the Blaugrana may need to grant him more rest than usual or delay his involvement in preseason to help him fully recover physically. In addition, head coach Hansi Flick could look to manage his playing time more carefully throughout the 2026–27 campaign.