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Spain’s winger Lamine Yamal has become a major injury concern for the upcoming World Cup after sustaining an injury in a bizarre incident during Barcelona’s latest match.

With the 2026 World Cup now less than two months away, Yamal—who was a standout performer for Spain when they lifted the European Championship title in his first major international tournament two years ago—finds himself battling to regain fitness in time for selection.

Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente is anxiously monitoring the condition of his star player. Yamal netted the only goal in Barcelona’s La Liga triumph over Celta Vigo on Wednesday but appeared to hurt himself immediately after scoring.

The 18-year-old forward, currently ranked No.1 on FourFourTwo’s list of the world’s best right-wingers, converted a first-half penalty in Barcelona’s 1-0 victory at Camp Nou, but soon after, he was seen clutching his left hamstring and signaling towards the bench before limping off the pitch.

Barcelona issued a statement on Thursday confirming that Yamal will sit out the remaining six La Liga fixtures as the club moves steadily towards securing their 29th league crown.

Although initial scans suggest a hamstring tear, the injury has not completely ruled Yamal out of the 2026 World Cup. Reports emerging on Thursday indicate that medical staff are optimistic about his recovery, and he could still feature in Luis de la Fuente’s final squad for the tournament to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer.

Since making his debut in 2023, Yamal has earned 25 caps for Spain. He made an instant impact on the international stage, scoring during Spain’s triumphant run at the 2024 European Championship, where his performances earned him the Young Player of the Tournament award.

Building on that success, the winger helped lead Barcelona to a second consecutive league title in the 2024/25 campaign and scored the decisive goal that sent the reigning champions nine points clear in the ongoing 2025–26 season.

Spain, unbeaten in their qualification campaign, were drawn in Group H for the upcoming World Cup. The 2010 champions will open their tournament against debutants Cape Verde at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday, June 15.

They will stay in Atlanta for their second group-stage encounter against Saudi Arabia before heading to Mexico for their final group match against Uruguay at Estadio Akron.

Yamal featured in Spain’s first two World Cup qualifiers, including a match against fellow finalists Turkiye, before missing the remaining four due to a prior injury. Despite his absences, he has been one of Barcelona’s standout performers this season.

Across 28 league appearances, the young winger has contributed 16 goals and 12 assists, underscoring his importance to the team before his campaign was cut short. In addition, Yamal recorded 10 goal involvements in 10 Champions League outings as Barcelona reached the quarter-final stage.