Spain’s prodigious winger Lamine Yamal has confirmed he is not yet prepared to play a full match at the World Cup, as his carefully managed return from a hamstring injury continues.
The 18-year-old Barcelona forward, a key talent for the national side, remains available for limited minutes in Sunday’s crucial Group Stage encounter against Saudi Arabia.
Yamal made his first appearance in nearly two months during Spain’s opening World Cup fixture, playing 25 minutes in a somewhat lacklustre goalless draw with Cape Verde.
His fitness has become a central talking point for the European champions, who are eager to ignite a campaign that began with a splutter rather than a sparkle.
Speaking to Spanish public television TVE, Yamal articulated his current physical state and cautious approach. “I’m fine, I’m feeling good, but it’s too soon, it’s unnecessary; I’m still settling in – it’s not the right time to play a full match yet – but I can play for as many minutes as the manager wants,” he stated.
He added: “I want to be on the pitch; at the end of the day, even if you know you can’t play for 90 minutes, you always want to get out there and help the team.”
The young talent, who helped Spain secure a record-extending fourth European Championship title in 2024, admitted his injury had inevitably brought the World Cup to the forefront of his thoughts.
“All players in the final stages of the season – with every injury, you think about the World Cup, and obviously about your team, but the World Cup is always on your mind,” he explained.
He expressed relief at his recovery: “After I’ve heard about the injury, thank God the doctors told me I was going to be ready, and here we are, happy. I hope I never get injured again.”
Spain’s opening goalless draw with Cape Verde drew criticism, but Yamal urged calm, dismissing the reaction as an overreaction.
“It’s best to move on,” he said. “There was a bit of a fuss over a draw, but in the end lots of teams have struggled in the first round – it doesn’t mean anything.”
He acknowledged the pressure for the upcoming match: “Obviously, we have to win on Sunday because we’re among the favourites, but just because you’ve drawn doesn’t mean you’re one of the worst teams in the World Cup.”
