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Lamine Yamal
Spain commence their World Cup 2026 campaign against Cape Verde amid Lamine Yamal's recent fitness issues
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Spain and Cape Verde begin Group H at the World Cup 2026, but will Lamine Yamal feature in the match?
Luis de la Fuente's Spanish team are strong contenders at this year's World Cup, with many observers expecting them to go all the way and capitalize on their Euro 2024 triumph.
Cape Verde should not present too many problems, but the Spaniards might have to cope without their standout player.
Lamine Yamal cannot yet play a full 90 minutes for Spain
Wonderkid Lamine Yamal is the main attraction for Spain, but the Barcelona star arrived at the World Cup 2026 with some fitness doubts looming over him.
Yamal missed the warm-up friendly against Peru last week, but his national team coach is hopeful about the winger returning very soon.
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Speaking to the media ahead of the Group H clash with Cape Verde, de la Fuente stated: "The positive news is that Lamine is in perfect shape.
"He's reached this point in the condition we wanted him to be in. He's fine, just like Nico [Williams] and Victor [Muñoz]. They're all available, though some won't play the full match."
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With Spain predicted to dominate Cape Verde, there's a strong possibility that de la Fuente might not require Yamal at all.
Discussing the specifics of Yamal's fitness, de la Fuente added: "The doctors say Lamine can play tomorrow without any problems. Not for 90 minutes, but to play some minutes, yes.
"The process [with Williams] is similar. They've been training together many days, many hours, and with the bond they share, they've been content. They could play, if we believe the match demands it."
Given Cape Verde are ranked 67th in the world, one of the lowest-ranked teams in the tournament, you'd expect Spain to manage perfectly well without needing to risk Yamal.
Prior to his late-season injury, the teenager had enjoyed another fruitful season with Barcelona, netting 24 goals and providing 18 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
This output helped Barcelona secure their second consecutive La Liga title, as they finished eight points ahead of rivals Real Madrid.
Jakob has over 11 years of experience in journalism across sports, entertainment, tech, and politics. Now a freelance news writer for FourFourTwo, he covers the biggest stories from the world of football.
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