Lamine Yamal Responds to Spain Injury Blow With Emotional Eight-Word Message

Yamal’s Barcelona teammate will miss the World Cup through injury.

Lamine Yamal’s Barcelona teammate Fermín López will miss the World Cup through injury. | Josep LAGO/AFP/Getty Images)

Spain has been dealt another significant injury blow heading into the World Cup, with Barcelona’s Fermín López set to be ruled out of the tournament.

Luis de la Fuente’s European champions rank among the favorites to triumph in North America this summer, but their swathe of attacking injuries, including Lamine Yamal’s hamstring complaint, has seen their stock take a hit less than a month out from the opening game.

Fermín was in the squad for Spain’s triumph at Euro 2024, but only made a single appearance as Dani Olmo stole the show from a No. 10 position. His time in the sun that summer arrived at the Olympics, where La Roja won gold off the back of Fermín’s prolific tournament. He found the back of the net six times.

The crafty attacking midfielder has since blossomed for back-to-back La Liga champions Barcelona and was destined to be a part of De la Fuente‘s World Cup squad. However, a foot fracture has compromised his dream.

---

Lamine Yamal Consoles Fermín López After Devastating Injury News

Fermín has had an excellent season with the La Liga champions. | Pedro Salado/Getty Images

It was a joyous occasion for Barça on Sunday, as they became the first team since La Liga became a 20-team division to win every single won of their home games in a season by beating Real Betis 3–1. However, Fermín’s celebratory mood has dissipated thanks to the news he received in the aftermath.

Barcelona confirmed on Tuesday that the 23-year-old “suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot” against Betis, and will undergo surgery.

Fermín was poised to head into the World Cup off the back of a mightily productive season in Catalonia, where he notched 30 goal contributions in 48 games, including 13 goals. While he shared the spotlight with Olmo for Hansi Flick’s Blaugrana, Fermín was on course to play a bigger role for the national team this summer compared to 2024.

Another stricken Spanish star, Lamine Yamal, took to social media to show support. Yamal posted an Instagram story of the pair celebrating by saluting each other with the caption: "We will do it for you, my warrior.”

López joins a long list of stars missing the tournament through injury, and Yamal’s own status for his first World Cup has been thrust into doubt.

---

Yamal Unlikely to Feature in Spain’s First Two World Cup Games

Yamal will miss the start of the World Cup. | Eric Alonso/Getty Images

The teenage superstar, named Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2024 and runner-up for the 2025 Ballon d’Or, picked up a hamstring injury in Barcelona’s 1–0 win over Celta Vigo last month.

There was an initial confidence within Barcelona that Yamal’s World Cup wouldn’t be impacted, but recent updates suggest the star winger won’t be fit for the start of Spain’s campaign.

Yamal is now expected to miss La Roja’s tournament opener against Cabo Verde in Atlanta on June 15, and is already a “major doubt” for their second group game against Saudi Arabia.

Despite its injury concerns, Spain will be expected to top Group H that also features an underwhelming Uruguay team. Having Yamal fully fit for the knockout stages has to be the goal, because the teenager’s sparkling magic may be the difference when De la Fuente’s men face off against the world’s best.

---