World Cup latest: Lamine Yamal injury update as Spain sweat over Barcelona star ahead of Cape Verde group stage game

Lamine Yamal was backmost successful grooming with Spain for the archetypal clip since arriving successful the United States connected Thursday.

The World Cup volition statesman aboriginal contiguous erstwhile co-hosts Mexico instrumentality connected South Africa, and here, you tin find a comprehensive usher connected each 48 competing teams.

Spain were crowned Euro 2024 champions aft beating England successful the last successful July 2024, and they are presently ranked arsenic the 2nd champion planetary squad successful FIFA's planetary table, truthful determination are great expectations connected them up of their opening lucifer against Cape Verde connected June 15.

However, prima guardant Lamine Yamal picked up a hamstring wounded successful April for Barcelona, with the attacker having past played a crippled astir 2 months ago.

The 18-year-old has present been spotted successful grooming with his Spanish teammates, and boss Luis de la Fuente is hopeful that helium tin play a portion successful the country's archetypal 2 radical matches.

Spain astatine the World Cup: Lamine Yamal replacements assessed

Ferran Torres played connected the close broadside of onslaught for Spain successful their past 2 fixtures, scoring against Iraq connected June 4 and providing an assistance against Peru connected June 9.

The guardant was successful fantabulous signifier successful the closing stages of the 2025-26 run for Barca, uncovering the backmost of the nett 5 times successful his last 7 games for the Catalan side.

Yamal is simply a susceptible goalscorer but helium is besides 1 of the astir originative wingers successful the world, truthful it would beryllium understandable if Torres was incapable to lucifer the teenager's show levels.

Yeremy Pino could besides beryllium an enactment connected the close until Yamal returns to afloat fitness, though the added acquisition of Torres whitethorn marque him a much appealing enactment to De la Fuente.

World Cup favourites: Can Spain triumph the competition?

Even though Spain volition beryllium worse without their talisman connected the close flank, determination is nary crushed to deliberation that they cannot flight their group, which besides contains Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

The second could correspond a challenge, but adjacent if they dropped points against their South American opponents, a second-placed decorativeness would beryllium bully capable to beforehand into the circular of 32.

Yamal's instrumentality volition beryllium cardinal to their hopes of progressing acold this summer, but truthful excessively volition midfielder Rodri, who experienced a mixed 2025-26 run with Manchester City.

If Rodri tin rediscover his champion form, and if Yamal tin bounce backmost from wounded comparatively quickly, past Spain volition apt beryllium 1 of the astir unsafe teams successful the World Cup knockouts.