Spain boss Luis de la Fuente says Lamine Yamal is “getting better fast” from his hamstring injury ahead of World Cup 2026.
There’s been plenty of debate about Yamal’s fitness, with speculation that he may not play in the opening group games.
De la Fuente says he expects Yamal to be passed fit in time for the tournament but added a decision has not yet been made on whether he will face Cape Verde in Spain’s opener.
“He’s getting better fast, hitting all the targets earlier,” he told the Guardian. “I
think he’ll be able to play the first game, but that doesn’t mean [he will].
“We’ll evaluate if he has to play a little bit, not play, wait for the second game.”
There was also plenty of praise for the Barcelona teenager who will be expected to impress at the World Cup this summer.
“Lamine was born for this. He has a daring character. Maybe that [pressure] would have overwhelmed you or me. But these guys are special,” he added.
“How many times have we asked of a player: ‘How good was that guy, what happened to him? Why didn’t he make it?’ Because you have to be good at football and a thousand things more.
“Lamine was 16 [at the Euros], 18 now, he puts up with a brutal media pressure and makes very few errors. One minute, one mistake, and the focus is on that; that’s not fair. There are hours, days, with physios, nutritionists, psychologists, coaches … it’s the work, the values.”
Spain’s first game is on June 15th against Cape Verde, followed by a clash with Saudi Arabia on June 21st.
