Spain's Lamine Yamal feared missing World Cup due to injury

Lamine Yamal, the rising star of the Spanish national football team, has revealed the significant anxiety he experienced over a muscle injury that threatened his participation in the 2026 World Cup. The young forward confessed to having "miedo" (fear) of missing the prestigious tournament as he recovered from a hamstring issue sustained in April.

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I was praying inside that it was nothing, that it was a cramp or anything, because the World Cup was very close.

Recalling the moment of injury during a league match against Celta Vigo, Yamal stated he was "praying inside that it was nothing, that it was a cramp or anything, because the World Cup was very close." He acknowledged that a "hamstring injury" typically requires a significant recovery period. "I was afraid it would be serious and, above all, even if it wasn't serious, that I could relapse and miss the World Cup," he added.

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I was afraid it would be serious and, above all, even if it wasn't serious, that I could relapse and miss the World Cup.

Despite the scare, Yamal is eager to make his World Cup debut, describing it as "the biggest thing" in football and something he has "dreamed of a thousand times." He expressed confidence in the current Spanish squad, calling it "one of the best we've ever had." Spain is set to compete in Group H, opening their campaign against Cabo Verde on June 15, followed by matches against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

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Also, it's true that it helps that you're going to play a World Cup, so the mind is like you haven't played a game all season and I'm really looking forward to being able to debut.