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Lamine Yamal to Miss Spain's World Cup Opener Against Cape Verde — Second Group Match Also in Doubt
Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is set to miss the World Cup opener against Cape Verde with a hamstring injury.
Spain will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign without the teenager who was supposed to light it up. Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona winger who has been tipped as one of the tournament's breakout stars, is expected to miss La Roja's opener against Cape Verde on June 15. The hamstring injury that ended his club season prematurely has not healed in time, and the news gets worse: his availability for Spain's second group match is also in serious doubt.
The Athletic reported on Monday that Yamal is still recovering from the damage suffered against Celta Vigo in April. It was the kind of innocuous stretch that can haunt a player for months, and it has now followed him onto the biggest stage. Luis de la Fuente and his medical team are taking no chances; the priority is not the opening game, but the rest of the tournament. Rushing him back for Cape Verde could cost Spain their most gifted player for the knockout rounds.
Yamal's absence strips Spain of their wildcard. At his best, the 18‑year‑old is capable of the unpredictable — a dribble that unhinges a defence, a pass that nobody else sees. His club season was curtailed precisely because he was targeting the World Cup as his moment. To miss the first match, and possibly the second, is a cruel blow for a player who has carried the weight of expectation with the lightness of someone who simply loves the game.
Spain, among the favourites to go deep, now face a different kind of test. They must navigate the group stage without their most explosive talent, leaning on the depth of a squad that is strong but not quite the same without Yamal's magic. The hope is that he returns for the business end. For now, the opening match will go on without him, and Spain must prove they can win without the boy who makes the impossible look easy.
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