Report: Lamine Yamal to miss first two World Cup games after Spain-Barcelona agreement

Spain are putting the finishing touches on their preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and one concern remains Lamine Yamal. The young Barcelona winger is recovering from a muscle injury, prompting meetings between all parties to determine the next steps.

“Communication between Barca and the Royal Spanish Football Federation is constant, with full consensus on not exposing Lamine in the first two matches,” Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reported on Wednesday. It later added one clarification: “Unless he were completely at 100%.”

The report states that Spain are willing to be without Yamal for the opening two group-stage matches, believing the relatively low level of the opposition should allow them to secure positive results even without their best player.

Cape Verde will be Spain’s opponent in the opening Group H match on Monday, June 15, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Six days later, Spain will face Saudi Arabia at the same venue.

When could Lamine Yamal be available?

If Lamine Yamal’s recovery continues as expected and the original timeline is met, his World Cup debut could come in Spain’s third Group H match. “Everything is under control with Lamine Yamal ahead of his return in the United States, with Saturday, June 27 circled for the Spain-Uruguay match,” Mundo Deportivo added.

By that point, Yamal will have gone more than two months without playing. His last appearance came on April 22, in Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Celta Vigo in La Liga. Considering the initial recovery timeline was projected at six weeks, he is expected to have enough time to return at full strength.

It is no coincidence that this is the projected return date for Lamine. Soccer often delivers unexpected surprises, but early projections suggest the match against Uruguay will be Spain’s first truly demanding challenge of the World Cup. There, they will face a dangerous opponent in what could decide the top spot in the group, a key factor when determining the knockout-stage bracket.

Spain’s key dates ahead of the World Cup

Coach Luis de la Fuente will publicly announce Spain’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday, May 25. In the days that follow, the squad will gather to begin training camp, knowing they still have two friendlies before the tournament begins: June 4 against Iraq and June 8 against Peru.