The 2026 FIFA World Cup is slated for this summer in North America. Unfortunately, one of the most prominent stars in all of international soccer has torn his hamstring with just under two months until the event starts.
Barcelona and Spain’s Lamine Yamal was injured while scoring a penalty in Wednesday’s 1-0 LaLiga win over Celta Vigo, and has now undergone tests confirming the tear, according to ESPN.
Barça has elected for it’s star to push foward with a “conservative treatment plan” and the plan is for him to sit out the club’s final six fixtures of league play, and the belief is that he’ll be fine for Spain’s first World Cup match against Cape Verde in Atlanta.
However, La Roja fans will certainly have a new outlook on what Spain can accomplish until Yamal, 18, is fully healthy again.
“This injury sidelines me at the very moment I wanted to be on the pitch the most, and it hurts more than I can explain,” Yamal wrote in a social media post. “It hurts not being able to fight alongside my teammates and not being able to help when the team needs me. But I believe in them, and I know they will play each match with their souls.
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“I’ll be there, even if only from the outside, supporting, cheering, and pushing them on just as if I were playing. This isn’t the end. It’s just a break. I’ll be back stronger, hungrier than ever, and next season will be even better.
“Thank you for all the messages, and Visca el Barça.”
Spain is one of the favorites to win the World Cup, but the calculus will change if Yamal isn’t a full-go.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.