Why Lamine Yamal Isn’t Playing for Barcelona vs. CE Europa in Preseason Friendly

After a summer spent fulfilling his childhood dream, Lamine Yamal has earned himself some merciful rest.

Despite coming into the tournament on the back of a club season-ending hamstring injury, Yamal featured in every World Cup fixture for Spain, starting seven matches and playing every available minute from the round of 16 onwards.

Hansi Flick has previously had a patchy record when it comes to managing the load of his teenage phenom. “I tell Lamine champions don’t rest,” Barcelona’s manager once revealed. Yet, after the most emotionally and physically draining summer of his burgeoning senior career, the freshly crowned world champion has been given some much-need rest.

Where Is Lamine Yamal—and When Will He Be Back?

Lamine Yamal via IG. pic.twitter.com/fexIbbzNZY
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) July 22, 2026

Yamal flew back to Spain with the rest of his compatriots to cavort around an open-top bus parade with the World Cup trophy. While he was spotted watching his younger brother Keyne bolster his own blossoming celebrity by driving around the Spanish streets in a toy car, Yamal was subsequently pictured enjoying his time in the Balearic island of Ibiza.

Every World Cup player receives a mandatory three-week hiatus before reporting back for preseason duty. As Yamal and his Spanish compatriots went all the way to the final, he won’t be back in Barcelona training until the week of Aug. 10 at the earliest.

That means that the 19-year-old will miss the entirety of the club’s summer training camp in England, which is wrapped up on Aug. 3. However, Yamal is expected to back in ample time for Barcelona’s signature friendly known as the Joan Gamper Trophy, which is expected to be against Egyptian outfit Al Ahly on Aug. 19.

Barcelona’s Missing World Cup Contingent

Pau Cubarsí was essential to Spain’s World Cup win. | Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images

Yamal was one of 15 Barcelona players at the World Cup. There were as many as eight on Luis de la Fuente’s winning roster, all of whom will enjoy the same extended break. After reaching the semifinals, England’s Anthony Gordon and Jules Koundé of France will also be eased back into action, while there will be delayed returns for the likes of João Cancelo and Hamza Abdelkarim.

Raphinha’s World Cup was prematurely cut short by a muscular injury yet it was the knee problem sustained by Frenkie de Jong which has caused the greatest concern. Barcelona’s controlling midfielder is set to be sidelined for between four and five months after playing through an injury for the Netherlands.

Player	Nation	World Cup Exit
Lamine Yamal	Spain	Winner
Pau Cubarsí	Spain	Winner
Pedri	Spain	Winner
Ferran Torres	Spain	Winner
Dani Olmo	Spain	Winner
Gavi	Spain	Winner
Eric García	Spain	Winner
Joan García	Spain	Winner
Anthony Gordon	England	Semifinals
Jules Kounde	France	Semifinals
João Cancelo	Portugal	Round of 16
Raphinha	Brazil	Round of 16
Hamza Abdelkarim	Egypt	Round of 16
Frenkie de Jong	Netherlands	Round of 32
Ronald Araujo	Uruguay	Group Stage

The Senior Barcelona Players for Hansi Flick to Assess

Without his legion of World Cup players as well as the injury pairing of Ronald Araujo and Alejandro Balde, Flick’s list of prospective players to watch is awfully short. Even fresh recruit Karim Adeyemi only officially joined the day before the friendly.

Marc Casadó and Roony Bardghji are two figures who can look to take advantage of this rare scarcity of internal competition. Both have been previously linked with moves away from Catalonia—rumors which appear to go against the desires of both players.

Should either hope to have a chance of convincing Flick of their worth, a behind-closed-doors friendly against a side from the lower reaches of Spain’s soccer pyramid may not be the most glamorous setting, but it’s an opportunity neither can really afford to pass up.

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