Lamine Yamal likely to play substitute role at 2026 World Cup

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has hinted that Lamine Yamal could be utilised as a high-impact substitute during the 2026 World Cup.

Yamal is currently sidelined for the remainder of the domestic season with a hamstring injury, forcing the national team to reconsider his workload for this summer’s tournament in North America.

The young winger will miss Barcelona’s final stretch of the La Liga campaign, and all focus have been shifted to his availability for La Roja.

Yamal will be fit to play at the World Cup, but Spain are wary of rushing their most-prized asset back into the starting lineup too quickly.

According to Sport, Luis de la Fuente acknowledged during a recent event that Yamal might be more effective in short bursts rather than playing full matches during the early stages of the competition.

The Spanish publication suggests that Yamal may be eased into the tournament during the group stages, with a potential return to the starting XI only planned for the knockout rounds.

De la Fuente has been vocal in his plans for the tournament, prioritising the knockout stages ahead of the group phases.

Barcelona’s German coach Hansi Flick hugs Lamine Yamal as he is substituted due to an injury. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP via Getty Images)

The Spanish coaching staff is prepared to wait for Yamal to reach peak sharpness before handing him a heavy minute load.

”There are players who may not be able to give you 50 or 60 minutes, but they can give you 20 very good ones. And that can be differential. There are players who can arrive just right and be decisive in the knockout rounds. Our priority is to arrive with the best possible team at the decisive moment,” De la Fuente said.

Spain’s national team doctor, Óscar Celada, has also shared his take on Yamal’s fitness. Reinforcing the need for caution, noting that recovering from injury is only the first step for the Barca winger.

“It is one thing to recover and another to recover the maximum performance. The biggest risk when a player comes back is to have another injury,” Celada noted.

”The pace is so high, with games every three or four days, that it’s impossible not to have breaks. We maintain constant communication with the clubs. It is not just a one-off report, but to see how the player evolves day by day. With that information, decisions are made.”