Barcelona reportedly sets conditions for Lamine Yamal’s participation with Spain at the 2026 World Cup

Lamine Yamal suffered an injury late in FC Barcelona‘s season that has disrupted his preparation ahead of the 2026 World Cup, leaving him heading into the tournament without competitive match time under his belt. With Spain‘s opening game fast approaching, the Blaugrana have reportedly outlined a series of conditions governing how Yamal is used during the competition.

The injury occurred on April 22 against Celta Vigo, when Yamal sustained a hamstring tear in his left leg and has been sidelined since, though his participation in the World Cup was never considered to be in jeopardy. To keep a close eye on his recovery, the forward has been accompanied by FC Barcelona‘s external physiotherapist Fernando Galán, who has been visiting him every Monday to monitor his progress.

According to Diario AS, Barcelona’s expectation is that Yamal could make his return to competitive action in Spain’s World Cup opener against Cape Verde on June 15. Assuming no setbacks, the six-week recovery window would be complete by that point, clearing him from a medical standpoint.

Barcelona’s roadmap for Yamal during the World Cup

Even with the medical clearance in sight, Barcelona’s position is that Yamal’s return to the pitch should be gradual. The final call will rest with Spain’s coaching staff, but the Blaugrana’s hope is that his playing time increases progressively across the group stage depending on how the team is faring in the early games.

The club’s preferred blueprint is for Yamal to play approximately 15 minutes against Cape Verde, around 60 minutes against Saudi Arabia, and then be in a position to complete the full 90 against Uruguay in the final group stage fixture.

For now, Yamal is continuing his rehabilitation program with the medical staff and will not feature in Spain’s final pre-tournament friendly against Peru in Mexico, remaining at the team’s base camp in Tennessee to complete his recovery.

With Yamal sidelined alongside Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz, coach Luis de la Fuente expressed optimism that all three could be available for the tournament opener. “All three are within the timeframe to be able to arrive in good condition to play on the 15th; we don’t know the exact minutes, but Lamine’s injury was different from Nico’s and Victor’s. Each one has their own process and duration, but the most important thing is that within the parameters we have, they can be met for the 15th,” he told reporters after arriving in Puebla.