Lamine Yamal at Risk of Missing 2026 World Cup After Brutal Injury—Report

The 2026 World Cup could potentially be bereft of one of the best players in the world.

Lamine Yamal (bottom) suffered an injury at the worst possible time. | Eric Alonso/Getty Images

The entire soccer world is holding its collective breath after reports claim a hamstring tear could keep Barcelona star Lamine Yamal out of the 2026 World Cup.

Yamal was forced to exit the pitch after scoring the lone goal in Barcelona’s 1–0 win over Celta Vigo on Wednesday night. The teenager converted the penalty he created, but instantly signaled to the bench that something was wrong and fell to the ground without celebrating the goal. He was forced to gingerly exit the pitch before halftime.

Soon after the final whistle, ESPN’s Gemma Soler emphatically raised the alarms, with a less than encouraging diagnosis for Yamal’ injury.

“It’s not official yet, but we were able to ask and it looks like a torn hamstring,” Soler said from Camp Nou. “He will have more explorations tomorrow. If that tear is small, that could mean three to four weeks. If it’s a little bit bigger, we could be talking about [Yamal] being out for the rest of the season and struggling to be at the beginning of the World Cup.”

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Barcelona Could Be Without Yamal for the Rest of 2025–26

Lamine Yamal looked visibly concerned after sustaining an injury. | Javier Borrego/Europa Press/Getty Images

Yamal will undergo further medical tests in the coming hours that will determine the severity of the injury and extent of his absence.

However, ESPN and Mundo Deportivo already suggest that Yamal not featuring for Barcelona in the remaining six games of the season is a very real possibility.

Barcelona hold a nine point lead over Real Madrid in the La Liga title race with only 18 points still up for grabs. It would take a historic collapse for the Blaugrana not to become back-to-back league champions, but the task at hand could become increasingly difficult without their best player.

Even if Yamal’s injury ends up not being as serious as the initial fears entail, it’s appears highly unlikely he’ll be ready in time for the final El Clásico of the season when Real Madrid visit the Camp Nou on May 10.

But with La Liga all but clinched, being fit for the 2026 World Cup will likely be the main priority of his recovery.

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Flick, Gavi React Share Insight on Yamal Injury

Hansi Flick (right) had a brief exchange with Yamal before he headed down the tunnel. | Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick greeted Yamal when he hobbled towards the tunnel after exiting the pitch, sharing a quick exchange followed by an embrace. After the match, the German boss shared an update on Yamal’s injury.

“We have to wait until tomorrow,” Flick declared. “We have to see what it is. I think it’s something, because he felt it and I think also after a goal he wouldn’t have left the pitch without a reason. Of course, it’s a pity that Lamine is injured now.”

Gavi also candidly spoke on Yamal’s injury after the match, highlighting how detrimental his absence is and sharing insight on how his teammate and close friend was doing when he saw him in the dressing room.

“To me Lamine is the best,” Gavi said. “Of course, for us it’s a s--- situation, because he’s a very important player for us. He was very upset here in the dressing room because he knows how crucial he is for us.

“I don’t know how long the injury will take [for Yamal to recover] but I hope it’s as short as possible.”

Barcelona will be keeping a close eye on the tests carried out on Thursday, but Luis de la Fuente and the Spain national team will be equally crossing their fingers hoping for positive news. Yamal was a lock to make his World Cup debut this summer with one of the favorites to win the tournament.

Now, he faces a race against the clock to recover and try to be ready on time for Spain’s tournament debut against Cape Verde in 54 days time.

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