Yamal: I'm Ready for the 2026 World Cup

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has confirmed that he is fit and ready for the 2026 World Cup.

Yamal is expected to be available for the tournament that begins on June 11 in North America. He suffered a left hamstring injury while converting a penalty kick for Barcelona in a Spanish league match on April 22.

The 18‑year‑old went down after scoring a first‑half penalty against Celta Vigo. He immediately signalled his injury, dropping to the ground as teammates celebrated, and appeared to grab the back of his left leg.

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Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said last week that, after naming Yamal in his World Cup squad, the forward should be ready to play in either Spain’s first or second match. La Roja will open the tournament against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta.

In a conversation with the RFEF, Yamal expressed his excitement about the upcoming World Cup.

“Finally, the moment has come. I think ever since the Euros ended, we were all thinking about this day and we’re all really excited. We’re coming in as the team we are, as European champions, and we’re going all out,” he said.

He recalled the moment of his injury: “I was praying inside that it was nothing, that it was just a cramp or something minor, because I felt the World Cup was so close and I knew it was a hamstring injury, which I’d never had before, but I knew it wouldn’t be a short recovery. So I was afraid it would be serious, and above all, that even if it wasn’t serious, I could relapse and miss the World Cup.”

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“It’s also true that it helps knowing you’re going to play in a World Cup, so your mind feels as if you haven’t played a single match all season, and I’m really eager to make my debut,” Yamal added.

“In my mind, it feels like I’ve been playing football for 10 years, but in reality it’s been three years, and four years ago I was playing with them at the local sports centre. So, a kid who was playing with you three years ago is now going to play in a World Cup. It has to be something crazy, really crazy.”