Lamine Yamal injury update: Latest news on World Cup hopes as hamstring damage to impact FIFA tournament
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is drawing ever closer, and as the 2025/26 club season nears a conclusion, players and fans are hoping their favorite superstars can remain healthy and fit for action this coming summer.
In that regard, there was a significant scare on Wednesday as Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal, who recently led the Spain national team to European Championship glory two years ago along a stratospheric rise to international stardom, suffered an injury.
Having appeared to hurt his hamstring in Barcelona’s win over Celta Vigo, fans around the world will had hoped he can return in time not only to help complete Barcelona’s push for a La Liga title, but notably for the World Cup, which begins on June 11.
The Sporting News brings you the latest on Lamine’s injury and how long it could potentially keep him out, with the World Cup in question for the 18-year-old.
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Lamine Yamal injury update
Lamine Yamal was forced off injured near the end of the first half in Barcelona’s 1-0 win over Celta Vigo on April 22. He scored a 39th-minute penalty and immediately held his finger up to signal to the bench that he had injured himself, proceeding to lie on his back as he was treated by medical staff at Camp Nou.
A day later, Barca confirmed that the winger had sustained an injury to the biceps femoris of his left leg. The muscle is part of the hamstring group.
It was a significant worry, not just for Barcelona, who are in the hunt for the La Liga title, but for the Spanish national team as well.
Kevin De Bruyne had this exact scenario happen earlier this season, injuring himself while scoring a penalty for Napoli against Inter Milan back in late October. The 34-year-old suffered a Grade 3 strain, requiring surgery and keeping him sidelined for over four months, returning in early March.
That ended up more serious than Lamine’s injury, but the young Spain star still has a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.
How long will Lamine Yamal be out?
Barcelona said on April 23 that Lamine Yamal would miss the remainder of the club season as part of «conservative treatment» of the injury.
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The club also stated that the expectation is that the player will be available for the World Cup.
The tests carried out have confirmed that first-team player Lamine Yamal has a hamstring injury in his left leg (biceps femoris muscle).
The player will follow a conservative treatment plan. Lamine Yamal will miss the remainder of the season, and he is expected to be available… pic.twitter.com/8UU4Bg9bDh
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 23, 2026
While the news that the injury is perhaps less serious than first feared, it still left the 19-year-old with a lengthy recovery that will see him come right up against the start of the World Cup.
According to a report by The Athletic on May 18, Lamine is expected to miss Spain’s World Cup opener against Cape Verde on June 15, and is a «major doubt» to take part in their second group game against Saudi Arabia. Given that, it’s reasonable to expect that he could also face a difficult test to be fit even for their group stage finale against Uruguay on June 26, and depending on the country’s ability to qualify for the knockout stage comfortably, they may simply hold him back until the Round of 32 to protect him from reinjury.
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Will Lamine Yamal play at the FIFA World Cup?
Barca’s statement to say Lamine Yamal should be able to play at the World Cup will have come as a huge relief to Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente. Still, there are no guarantees he will be fully fit for the tournament.
Spain start their group-stage campaign against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta, meaning Lamine Yamal has seven and a half weeks to recover if he hopes to be involved. Depending on how that process goes, it could be that the teenager is included in the World Cup roster with a view to playing solely in the latter group games or the knockout stage.
As the current favorites to lift the trophy, the player’s status will be watched around the world, and a potential absence could bring a dynamic shift in perception of how the tournament could play out.
Earlier in the same day, news had been announced that Chelsea youngster Estevao had suffered a serious hamstring injury, reportedly a «near-complete tear,» which has put his own World Cup hopes in significant doubt.
It now sounds like while Lamine Yamal is expected to participate in the tournament, he will almost certainly miss time in at least the group stage.
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