Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed optimism about Lamine Yamal’s recovery ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season with Barcelona, Lamine Yamal is now focused on fully recovering from a muscle injury in order to arrive in top condition for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Spain. Head coach Hansi Flick addressed the situation. “I think we’ll see him at the World Cup. He has more time to recover calmly and everything is going well. That’s what he wants, and he’ll be there,” Flick said Friday during a press conference ahead of Barcelona’s La Liga match against Osasuna on Saturday. Yamal suffered a hamstring injury in his left leg on April 22, after scoring a penalty in Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Celta Vigo. Medical tests indicated that the winger will not return to action before the end of the club season, meaning his priority is now to be part of Spain’s squad for North America 2026. With that in mind, Barcelona and Spain are working together to support his recovery. “We’re in contact with the Federation’s medical staff, as well as our own. I’m in contact with Lamine, and he’s progressing well, which is the most important thing,” Flick said. Spain coach Luis De La Fuente. Luis De La Fuente’s view This week, Luis De La Fuente was asked about Lamine Yamal’s availability for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during a medical symposium at the CEMTRO clinic in Madrid. While he avoided addressing the specific case directly, he offered an encouraging response. The head coach said his priority is “to arrive at the decisive stage with the best possible team,” placing particular emphasis on the latter rounds of the tournament. “There are players who can come in less than fully fit and still make a difference in the knockout stages,” he added. Those comments are key to understanding Yamal’s situation. Amid speculation that he might not be ready for the first two matches of the World Cup, the winger does not appear to be at risk of missing Spain’s roster, considering De La Fuente is comfortable having him reach full fitness later in the tournament. Lamine Yamal’s timeline ahead of the World Cup With the 2026 World Cup just 42 days away, the first key deadline for Spain regarding Lamine Yamal is May 11. On that date, each national team must submit to FIFA a preliminary list of between 35 and 55 players under consideration for the tournament. Then, once club competitions conclude, that list must be trimmed down to 26 players by no later than June 1. Spain will open their World Cup campaign on June 15 against Cape Verde, but their path in the knockout stages would not begin until at least June 30—giving Lamine Yamal more than enough time to recover.
