Lamine Yamal Expected to Start World Cup Campaign on the Bench

Lamine Yamal is in perfect condition to play Spain’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup but he’s likely to start on the bench.

Spain will take on Cape Verde in their first group game as they hope to win the World Cup for the second time in their history. However, Yamal — one of the highest-profile players at the tournament — is still racing to regain his fitness after suffering an injury with his club on April 22.

The Barcelona playmaker missed his side last warm-up friendly in Mexico last week.

Despite this, Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has remained upbeat about Yamal’s prospects of being available for their opening World Cup game in Group H.

Lamine Yamal  warms up during Spain’s training session. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

“The good news is that Lamine is in perfect condition,” De la Fuente said in a pre-match news conference in Atlanta on Sunday. “He’s arrived at this point in the state in which we wanted him to be. He’s fine, just like Nico [Williams] and Victor [Muñoz]. They’re all available, although some won’t play the entire game.”

Williams and Muñoz have both also been struggling with injuries, although all three players took a full part in training on Sunday in Spain’s session at Kennesaw State University, Georgia.

“The doctors say Lamine can play tomorrow without any issues,” De la Fuente said. “Not to play 90 minutes, but to play some minutes, yes… The process [with Williams] is similar. They’ve been working together a lot of days, a lot of hours, and with the relationship they have, they’ve been happy. They could play, if we think the game demands it.”

While it’s still not confirmed if Yamal will start from the bench, the young winger will be eager to start in Spain’s remaining group game against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.