Spain's World Cup hopes hang in balance as Lamine Yamal faces hamstring scare
The consensus favourite for the upcoming tournament in North America could miss the start of Spain's campaign if Thursday's imaging confirms a torn hamstring.
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal faces an uncertain future for the World Cup after sustaining a hamstring injury while scoring the winning goal against Celta Vigo in a La Liga match on Wednesday. The 18-year-old Spanish international is currently unavailable for selection, with his participation in the upcoming tournament in North America now in doubt pending medical scans scheduled for Thursday.
Club officials and coach Hansi Flick report a torn hamstring, though a full prognosis awaits scan results due later this week. Yamal pulled up injured immediately after scoring the 1-0 winning goal in the 40th minute, clutching his left hamstring and failing to celebrate as he went down.
Teammate Pedri has expressed hope that Yamal will only miss a few weeks and advises him to remain calm. The midfielder, who shares club and national team duties with Yamal, noted that the young star will surely recover well given his age, but the immediate priority is the diagnostic clarity provided by the upcoming scans.
The injury occurred during a match that secured a nine-point lead for Barcelona over second-place Real Madrid. While Barcelona are comfortably on course to win the La Liga title regardless of Yamal's health status, the situation presents a significant risk to Spain's campaign. Yamal is a consensus World Cup favourite and a key attacking option for the national team, having scored six goals in 25 career appearances for Spain.
Spain's World Cup schedule includes matches against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia in Atlanta, followed by Uruguay in Zapopan, Mexico, starting mid-June. The severity of the injury is not yet confirmed; a full prognosis depends on scan results due on Thursday, leaving the duration of Yamal's absence unknown.
It remains unclear if the injury will impact Spain's chances of qualifying for or performing well in the World Cup, despite the team's recent UEFA Euro 2024 victory where Yamal contributed significantly. The club and national team await the medical assessment to determine the extent of the damage to the consensus favourite.
