Lamine Yamal has admitted he is not yet ready to play a full match at the World Cup but insists he remains available for limited minutes as Spain look to get their campaign back on track against Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
The 18-year-old Barcelona winger came off the bench for 25 minutes in Spain’s disappointing 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their opening Group H fixture, his first appearance in nearly two months following a hamstring injury. Despite the careful management of his return, Yamal struck a positive tone ahead of the Saudi Arabia match.
“I’m fine, I’m feeling good, but it’s too soon, it’s unnecessary. I’m still settling in — it’s not the right time to play a full match yet — but I can play for as many minutes as the manager wants,” Yamal told Spanish public television TVE. “I want to be on the pitch. At the end of the day, even if you know you can’t play for 90 minutes, you always want to get out there and help the team.”
The injury had naturally weighed on his mind during the closing stages of the club season, Yamal said. “All players in the final stages of the season — with every injury, you think about the World Cup, and obviously about your team, but the World Cup is always on your mind. After I heard about the injury, thank God the doctors told me I was going to be ready, and here we are, happy. I hope I never get injured again.”
Yamal, who played a central role in Spain’s record-extending fourth European Championship triumph in 2024, was relaxed about the criticism that followed the Cape Verde stalemate, urging perspective rather than panic.
“It’s best to move on. There was a bit of a fuss over a draw, but in the end lots of teams have struggled in the first round — it doesn’t mean anything. Obviously, we have to win on Sunday because we’re among the favourites, but just because you’ve drawn doesn’t mean you’re one of the worst teams in the World Cup.”
Spain’s lack of cutting edge against Cape Verde has raised questions about their ability to break down a well-organised defence, and Yamal’s fitness remains central to how quickly the European champions can rediscover their sharpest form. A win on Sunday would ease much of the pressure heading into the final group match.
