Though Yamal is widely projected to be the focal point of Spain‘s attack during the tournament, he will sit out the friendly against Iraq as a precautionary measure. The Barcelona winger is still working his way back to full fitness following an injury setback sustained during the final stretch of the club season.

Stepping into the starting XI in Yamal’s absence is veteran forward Borja Iglesias. He is set to anchor the frontline alongside Ferran Torres and Alex Baena, a versatile attacking duo that manager Luis de la Fuente is trusting to set the tone against a disciplined Iraq‘s defense.

While Yamal is pushing hard to anchor the lineup by the June 15 opener against Cape Verde, De la Fuente has remained tight-lipped regarding an exact return date, leaving fans and pundits eagerly monitoring the youngster’s day-to-day progress.

Spain’s confirmed lineup to face Iraq

Even without their prized winger, Spain are rolling out a formidable, star-studded lineup as De la Fuente looks to establish dominance early and fine-tune his tactical system before heading across the Atlantic. Here is La Roja’s confirmed starting XI:

• Goalkeeper: Joan Garcia
• Defenders: Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte, Jon Martin, Alex Grimaldo
• Midfielders: Marc Bernal, Gavi, Alex Baena
• Forwards: Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, Borja Iglesias

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM ET at the historic Estadio Municipal de Riazor in La Coruña, Spain. Be sure to follow all the action, tactical updates, and live reactions right here on our dedicated live-blog coverage at Bolavip US.

From his second appearance in South Africa 2010 onwards, Messi fully took ownership of the iconic number 10 for Argentina. Who will wear that number for Spain? Barcelona player Dani Olmo.

Luis de la Fuente is hoping to have Lamine Yamal available as soon as possible for the tournament. The young talent is already a reality and will look to carve out his own legacy at the World Cup, distancing himself in some way from what the Argentine star has achieved, and beginning to forge his own path on soccer’s biggest stage.

Spain’s squad numbers for the World Cup

Lamine Yamal will wear number 19, David Raya the number 1, Rodri the number 16, and Gavi will take the number 9. These are Spain’s chosen squad numbers for the upcoming World Cup.

Another milestone set by Messi

When the 2026 World Cup kicks off, Lionel Messi will make history once again by becoming the first player ever to feature in six different editions of the tournament. While this historic milestone elevates his legendary status to unprecedented heights, Messi is set to share this record with Guillermo Ochoa and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only men to achieve this incredible longevity on the world stage.

Yamal’s World Cup debut

Spain will kick off their 2026 World Cup campaign in Group H, facing Cape Verde on June 15 and Saudi Arabia on June 21, both in Atlanta, before traveling to Guadalajara to play Uruguay on June 27. This tournament will mark the highly anticipated World Cup debut for young star Lamine Yamal.

Interestingly, a thrilling crossover could happen as early as the Round of 32; if Spain wins Group H and Lionel Messi’s Argentina finishes second in Group J, or vice versa, the two Barcelona icons would face each other in a massive, single-elimination knockout match.

Gavi participated in a dynamic organized by streamer Ibai Llanos, where he made his predictions for the 2026 World Cup. Among the questions were the potential champion, the top scorer of the tournament, the breakout player, and the surprise team. When the moment came to choose the surprise team, Gavi did not hesitate to mention Ecuador.

“As a surprise team, I am going to tell you Ecuador. They have good players,” Gavi argued to support his answer. And one of those questions was also for the best player of the tournament, where he chose Lamine Yamal without hesitation.

Gavi’s complete prediction

Gavi‘s answers are not far-fetched at all, as they are responses that an average soccer fan would give, and while the pick of Lamine Yamal certainly gives people plenty to talk about due to him being so young, he is undisputedly one of the best players in the world, accompanied by a great national team.

Gavi’s complete prediction list:

• Winner: Spain
• Runner-up: Portugal
• Surprise team: Ecuador
• Top scorer: Mikel Oyarzabal
• Breakout player: Joao Felix
• Best veteran player: Neymar Jr
• Best player: Lamine Yamal

The numbers in Gavi’s career

It is worth remembering that Gavi remains one of those young talents at 21-years-old. His talent quickly caught the attention of several major clubs in Spain, until he entered La Masia, the youth academy of FC Barcelona, in 2015. He debuted with the first team in 2021, when he was just 17 years old, and since then, he has established himself as an important piece for the Catalan squad.

With Barcelona, he records 166 matches, 10 goals, and 16 assists, and he has conquered important titles at the club level, which are: three LaLiga titles, three Spanish Super Cups, and one Copa del Rey.

With Spain, he has accumulated 28 matches with five goals, participating in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where he did not have a standout performance, and the 2023 UEFA Nations League title.

Fabrizio Romano, a renowned journalist who specializes in the soccer transfer market, reported on Friday that Barcelona made the first move toward acquiring Julian Alvarez from Atleti. The Colchoneros did not take this report well and answered with joking bids for three of the Blaugranas’ biggest stars.

“HERE WE GO! We have sent a fax to @FCBarcelona_es with our transfer offer: 4 tickets for tomorrow’s Bad Bunny concert, an annual subscription to ABC, and a bag of sunflower seeds. We eagerly await the response to prepare the ‘announce’,” Atleti published on their official Spanish X account alongside a picture of Lamine Yamal, who recently won his third LaLiga title, wearing their jersey.

Pedri and Raphinha also included in Atleti’s troll

In their second tweet on the topic, Atletico Madrid shared a joke offer for Pedri: “HERE WE GO! For this second offer we had a problem, we ran out of tickets for tomorrow’s concert, so we are improving the previous proposal with 6 for Sunday’s concert.”

For their third post of the day, Atletico Madrid targeted Barcelona winger Raphinha, all of them starting with Romano’s phrase when he announces a signing: “HERE WE GO! And to complete the 3-for-1 deal, we went all out and are throwing the house out the window: the player arrives on loan for one season and in exchange we loan Tom Ford and Smith with no option to buy. An irresistible offer.”

Atletico Madrid send a clear message to Barcelona about Julian Alvarez

Following these three posts, Atletico Madrid concluded the interaction with a direct message aimed at Barcelona regarding the reported bid for Julian Alvarez and the persistent rumors surrounding his potential exit from the club:

“No, Atletico Madrid would never do something like that. However, over the last few months, we have been suffering a campaign of constant harassment against one of our players. Self-serving leaks, ‘fake news’, a continuous lack of respect, the Cule version of the media machinery inventing stories, phone calls right before head-to-head matches… But of course, it would also never cross our minds to have the vice president of the referees on our payroll or to resort to political favors to register players. RESPECT and VALUES.”

De la Fuente spoke reassuringly of Yamal’s inclusion on his 26-man World Cup roster, predicting that the winger will be given the all-clear before their first game of the tournament. “First and foremost, caution. We need to give him the time he needs, especially now,” De la Fuente told reporters after his roster was revealed.

“I believe he’ll be ready for the first match, and we hope he can live up to expectations, but without putting undue pressure on him. He’s very mature.” Spain, among the tournament favorites, begin on June 15 against World Cup debutant Cabo Verde in Group H.

How does Yamal arrive at the World Cup?

A hamstring injury has hindered Lamine Yamal’s World Cup preparations. However, the Barcelona superstar is still expected to be fully fit for the start of the tournament, which remains the primary expectation.

Supporters of Spain were cursing Hansi Flick when Yamal succumbed after taking a penalty in Barca’s 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo on April 22. The winger has been used relentlessly by the German since breaking into the senior setup and emerging as one of the world’s best players.

Yamal has already lit up the big stage for La Roja, earning Young Player of the Tournament honors at Euro 2024, which Spain won handsomely. However, it’s at the World Cup where legacies of soccer’s best are forged, and Yamal is readying himself for his first experience of the tournament this summer.

Spain without Real Madrid players

No Real Madrid players were picked by De la Fuente. For the first time in World Cup history, Spain’s most decorated club will not be represented at all, as there may be a scarcity of Spanish players at Madrid.

There were just three Madrid players in the Euro 2024 squad, and two of those, Joselu and Nacho Fernandez, are currently plying their trade in the Middle East. The other, veteran Dani Carvajal, did not make De la Fuente’s 55-man provisional roster, given his limited number of minutes this season.

Dean Huijsen was the most likely to make it, but his form has been spotty for Madrid since joining last summer. Pau Cubarsi and Marc Pubill were preferred. The other Spanish options at Real Madrid are uninspiring.

Raul Asencio has never been capped, Alvaro Carreras had a mixed first season with the club, while Fran Garcia is not of the requisite level. Striker Gonzalo Garcia is at least attending the early stages of camp as a training player.

According to a report from The Athletic, Yamal is not expected to fully recover in time for Spain‘s first two group stage matches. The winger is on track to miss the June 15 opener against Cape Verde as well as the June 21 clash with Saudi Arabia, a lingering consequence of the injury issues that plagued his final stretch of the club season with Barcelona.

While previous optimism suggested Yamal could return in time for the group stage opener, The Athletic‘s report injects a heavy dose of uncertainty into Spain’s preparations. Manager Luis de la Fuente is leaning heavily on his young superstar to lead the country back to the global summit for the first time since South Africa 2010, making this delay a monumental setback.

This devastating update aligns with the initial concerns raised by Barcelona’s medical staff following his late-April injury. Now, all eyes turn to the medical tent to see what the realistic timeline will be for arguably the most vital catalyst in de la Fuente’s tactical setup.

Spain’s injury woes extend beyond Yamal

As if losing Yamal for the opening week wasn’t catastrophic enough, Spain were hit with another brutal injury blow regarding Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez. The Athletic also reports that Lopez has suffered a metatarsal fracture in his right foot that will require surgery.

The diagnosis likely rules Lopez out for the entirety of the World Cup. His absence deals a crippling blow to Spain’s squad depth, as he was slated to be a crucial depth piece capable of reshuffling the midfield and filling a creative void if a cornerstone like Pedri battles fatigue or injury during the tournament.

La Roja facing a pre-tournament injury crisis

The losses of Lopez and Yamal compound what is quickly becoming a full-blown injury crisis for Spain ahead of their trip to North America. The list of confirmed absentees for the 2026 World Cup already includes Samu Omorodion and Ander Barrenetxea, both of whom suffered season-ending injuries with their respective clubs.

With four key players sidelined or severely diminished, Spain must quickly navigate these roster vacancies and identify viable alternatives. If they hope to live up to their billing as tournament favorites and make a deep championship run, La Roja will need their depth to step up when it matters most.

This means Lamine Yamal has three LaLiga titles at age 18. That is more than Lionel Messi, who won his first LaLiga title at 18, which means Lamine Yamal’s legacy is arguably going at a faster pace.

Yamal has scored 16 goals so far this season, with 11 assists. Hence, he has been a key component for Barcelona this year. This means Yamal comes in good form for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

How many titles Yamal has won with Barcelona compared to Messi at age 18?

Yamal might have more league titles at age 18 than Messi, but overall, Messi had some other silverware that Yamal doesn’t have. A LaLiga, a Champions League, and a Spanish SuperCup were part of Messi’s titles.

For Yamal, he has more, with three LaLigas, a Copa del Rey, and a Spanish SuperCup. However, the Champions League Messi won is arguably worth more than the titles Yamal has won.

Lamine Yamal is arguably forging a huge legacy in Barcelona

Yamal has been a star ever since he stepped up into the scene. Being so young has allowed Yamal to get more LaLiga titles from an early age. Messi however, did plenty that Yamal hasn’t done. From Champions League to Ballon D’Ors, Yamal has ways to go.

The teenage star picked up the injury during Barcelona’s win over Celta in April and has not recovered in time for one of the biggest matches of the year. He won’t be the only notable absentee on the field though, as Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe isn’t playing today either.

The absence is a major blow for Hansi Flick’s side because he had become one of Barcelona’s defining players throughout the season. Before the injury, the Spanish international was enjoying another breakout campaign.

When and how did Lamine Yamal get injured?

Lamine Yamal suffered a hamstring injury in his left leg while scoring a penalty for Barcelona against Celta Vigo on April 22. Barcelona later confirmed the injury after medical tests revealed damage to the hamstring, forcing him to miss El Clasico.

While celebrating and attempting to continue playing, the Barcelona winger immediately showed signs of discomfort before eventually being substituted.

Early reports described the issue as a Grade 2 hamstring injury, one of the most delicate muscle problems for explosive attacking players because of the risk of aggravation.

Barcelona’s medical staff quickly decided on a conservative recovery plan. The club officially announced that he would miss the rest of the LaLiga season but is still expected to recover in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Spain.

When will Lamine Yamal return to play?

Lamine Yamal is expected to return in June 2026. He will not play again for Barcelona this season, but current reports indicate the injury is not expected to jeopardize his participation in the summer tournament.

Barcelona have reportedly coordinated closely with Spain manager Luis de la Fuente regarding his recovery timeline. According to multiple reports, he is expected to gradually return to training during the final weeks of May before increasing his workload ahead of the World Cup.

How was Lamine Yamal performing this season?

Lamine Yamal was enjoying one of the best seasons of his young career before the injury, emerging as one of Barcelona’s most important attacking players. He consistently contributed goals, assists and match-winning moments while becoming a central figure in Hansi Flick’s attack.

His ability to create chances off the dribble, attack defenders in transition and deliver in big matches made him one of the breakout stars of LaLiga once again. Barcelona increasingly relied on his creativity in high-pressure moments.

He continued improving statistically compared to previous seasons. Alongside experienced stars like Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, he became one of the leaders of Barcelona’s new generation despite still being a teenager.

How to watch El Clasico and what time does it start?

El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid will kick off on Sunday, May 10 at 9:00 PM local time in Spain, which is 3:00 PM ET in the United States. It will take place at Spotify Camp Nou and could decide the 2025-26 LaLiga title race.

In the United States, fans can watch Barcelona vs Real Madrid live on ESPN platforms, with pregame coverage beginning before kickoff. The match is expected to draw one of the biggest global television audiences.

Lamine Yamal will miss the game due to a left hamstring injury. Yamal is undergoing a conservative treatment to make his return for the 2026 FIFA World Cup plausible. Hence, Barcelona are being careful.

Yamal suffered this injury against Celta Vigo on April 22. While his World Cup appearance shouldn’t be in question, his appearance in what remains of LaLiga is in fact cloudy.

Raphinha is also in question

While Raphinha did make the trip with the team, he won’t be starting, as he is just recovering from a right hamstring injury. He suffered a setback earlier in his recovery, and just returned to training as of late April.

Raphinha suffered his injury while playing with Brazil. While he is on the squad, it’s likely that he won’t play at all, because his aim is to be back for El Clasico against Real Madrid next week.

What do Barcelona need to win LaLiga title?

Barcelona need just five more points from the remaining 15 on the line to secure the LaLiga title. They have an 11-point lead over Real Madrid. However, if they win vs. Osasuna, and Madrid fail to win against Espanyol, they could actually secure their title in El Clasico.

According to Sport, there was a meeting this Monday with elite physiotherapists Raul Martinez and Fernando Galan. Both play a key role: they have worked as physiotherapists for the RFEF and currently collaborate with Barca; the topic of Lamine Yamal was addressed.

It was made clear that the club has its absolute priority to properly manage the forward recovery, especially due to the high risk of relapse that exists with this type of injury. The idea is not to rush timelines and to take care of every detail to avoid any setback that could compromise his condition in the medium and long term.

Matches Yamal could miss

According to the same report, Barca does not want to force his return under any circumstances. They understand within the club that he will be on Luis De la Fuente’s list for the World Cup, but if necessary, they would not see it as a problem if he misses some of the opening matches of the tournament to avoid risks, to be fully available in the most demanding stage.

Thus, it could be that he does not play against Cabo Verde on June 15 in Spain‘s debut at the tournament to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, nor against Saudi Arabia on June 21. He could be at full fitness for the match against Uruguay, which could decide the top spot in the group, and then approach the knockout rounds with guarantees.

It is worth noting that this comes from a club position, but surely, within the team, there is that dilemma of trusting the group stage without having their best player and expecting the rest of the team to step up and secure qualification, or using the player from the start with that key piece in the system, but risking a relapse of the injury.

What happened to Lamine Yamal?

The winger suffered a significant hamstring injury in the left leg in a LaLiga match against Celta del Vigo after scoring a penalty. In the 40th minute, Barcelona were awarded a penalty kick, and Yamal wasted no time stepping up to the spot. While he successfully beat the Celta goalkeeper to give his side the lead, he was seen grimacing and clutching his left foot immediately after the strike.

Yamal is sidelined with a significant hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the season, while Raphinha continues to recover from a separate muscle issue and has yet to return to full team training.

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick confirmed ahead of the game that neither player would be available, with both still progressing through recovery and not ready for competitive action.

How and when did Lamine Yamal get injured?

Lamine Yamal suffered a left hamstring injury during Barcelona’s LaLiga match against Celta Vigo in April 2026, forcing him off immediately after scoring a penalty. The forward grabbed the back of his leg right after converting from the spot and was substituted moments later.

Medical tests confirmed the injury as a hamstring issue in his left leg, with the club opting for a conservative recovery plan. Further reports revealed it as a significant muscle injury (biceps femoris), explaining why Barcelona ruled him out for the remainder of the domestic season.

How and when did Raphinha get injured?

Raphinha suffered a hamstring injury during the March international break in a match involving Brazil, which has sidelined him for several weeks. The issue was confirmed shortly after the game and initially projected to keep him out for around five weeks.

Since then, the Brazilian winger has been working through rehabilitation, missing key matches for Barcelona during a crucial stretch of the season. Although his recovery has progressed, he has not yet been fully reintegrated into matchday action, which explains his absence for this fixture.

When will Lamine Yamal return to play?

Lamine Yamal is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025–26 LaLiga season, with a potential return targeted for the upcoming international competitions, including the World Cup.

The club has confirmed that he will follow a conservative treatment plan, prioritizing long-term fitness over a rushed comeback. Recovery timelines suggest an absence of approximately five to six weeks, effectively ruling him out of Barcelona’s remaining league fixtures.

When will Raphinha return to play?

Raphinha could return in early May 2026, with projections pointing to a comeback around Barcelona’s match against Osasuna. Reports indicate that his recovery timeline from the hamstring injury was set at around five weeks, and he has been targeting key late-season fixtures for his return.

How have they performed this season?

Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal has been Barcelona’s most productive and influential attacker during the 2025–26 season, leading the team in both goals and assists in LaLiga. The young winger has recorded around 15 league goals and 9+ assists.

He has also delivered in Europe, contributing 6 goals and 4 assists in the UEFA Champions League. His overall influence goes far beyond numbers, as he leads the club in expected assists and chance creation.

His importance is further reflected in his presence: he has featured in the vast majority of league matches this season, and despite Barcelona managing results without him, his absence due to injury represents a major tactical loss in the title race.

Raphinha

Raphinha has delivered a strong but more complementary season, contributing consistent scoring and experience despite missing time through injury. He has registered 11 LaLiga goals and multiple assists in limited appearances, maintaining solid efficiency when available.

His role has been less about leading the attack and more about providing balance—offering width, pressing intensity and vertical runs that stretch defenses and open space for teammates like Yamal. Even with fewer minutes, he remains one of the team’s most reliable attacking options when fit.

His influence also extends beyond raw stats. In high-intensity matches, his pressing and work rate have been key to Barcelona’s system, often setting the tone for the team’s defensive and offensive transitions.