‘Too Soon’—Yamal Drops Injury Revelation Before Spain’s Clash With Saudi Arabia
Spain superstar Lamine Yamal has revealed that it is still “too soon” for him to play the full 90 minutes of a match.
Yamal was only risked for the final 20 minutes of Spain’s disappointing goalless stalemate with Cabo Verde—and that was his first appearance of any kind since April. Luis de la Fuente has come under fire for his treatment of the teenage phenom in the past—much to the evident chagrin of Barcelona boss Hansi Flick—but is taking a cautious approach at this stage of the tournament. Yamal is also on board.
"It’s too soon; it’s unnecessary,” the global sensation told RTVE. “I’m going through an adaptation process. It’s not the time to play a full match, though I can certainly play whatever minutes the coach wants."
Spain is up against Saudi Arabia on Sunday in Atlanta. Both sides may be level on one point apiece after a pair of draws to open the tournament, but the reigning European champion remain the heavy favorite against a side sitting 56 places lower on FIFA’s world rankings.
“We’re in no rush,” Yamal insisted, “We have a fantastic squad with top-level players, and we need to take things calmly.”
When Will Lamine Yamal Be Fully Fit?
Lamine Yamal pulled up in April. / Europa Press Sports/Getty Images
When Yamal pulled up clutching his hamstring after converting a penalty for Barcelona two months ago, his first thought flickered towards this summer’s tournament.
“For any player in the final stretch of the season, whenever there’s an injury, you think about the World Cup—and obviously your club team—but the World Cup is always on your mind,” he explained. “Thank God the doctors told me I’d have plenty of time to recover, so here I am—happy.”
Yamal is thought to have completely recovered from his hamstring issue but the risk of re-injury is always prevalent so soon after such a setback. If there are no further complications during training, De la Fuente should gradually increase Yamal’s minutes throughout the group stage, getting him primed for the knockout rounds.
How Spain Can Win Without Yamal
Víctor Muñoz will represent Spain this summer after a breakout campaign. / Ernest Kolodziej/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
As impressive as Cabo Verde’s timeless goalkeeper (slash volleyball instructor) Vozinha was, Spain didn’t create nearly enough chances. Most concerningly, it was an all-too-familiar issue for La Roja, who endlessly cycled possession in front of a stubborn opponent.
Without Yamal or his fellow direct winger Nico Williams available, De la Fuente fell into the trap of calling upon another central midfielder, Gavi on this occasion, to line up out wide. Ferran Torres wasn’t an easy fit on the right either, robbing Spain almost entirely of any width until Yamal came off the bench.
Against Cabo Verde, De la Fuente was curiously reluctant to use Victor Muñoz, the Liverpool-bound 22-year-old who is the only other natural winger among Spain’s ranks. Only three La Liga players attempted more than 200 dribbles during the 2025–26 season: Yamal, Vinicius Junior and Muñoz. Without the option of calling upon Real Madrid’s Brazilian, De la Fuente has one attractive option to call upon.
