Three days before the biggest football match on the planet, Spain’s most electric attacker showed up to training with a bandage on his left thigh.
Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old Barcelona winger who has been one of the breakout stars of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was sidelined from full training on July 16 with what Spanish team sources describe as a precautionary measure. The World Cup final against Argentina is scheduled for July 19, and Spain’s camp is projecting calm: Yamal is expected to be available for selection.
The injury timeline and why it matters
This isn’t the first time Yamal’s left leg has caused concern this year. Back on April 22, he sustained a left hamstring injury during a Barcelona match, an incident serious enough to rule him out for the remainder of the club season. That timeline gave him roughly three months to recover before the World Cup, and coach Luis de la Fuente has been consistently positive about the player’s fitness throughout the tournament buildup.
The current scare appears connected to discomfort Yamal showed after Spain’s semifinal victory over France on July 14. Two days later, the bandage appeared. Two days after that, the final.
