Yamal to miss Barcelona's season with hamstring injury, World Cup hopes remain

Barcelona lost Lamine Yamal for the rest of its season after tests confirmed a hamstring injury in his left leg, but the club still expects the 18-year-old winger to be available for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The injury came after Yamal scored Barcelona’s only goal in a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo on April 22 before limping off. Barcelona said on April 23 that he would follow a conservative treatment plan and miss the remainder of the league campaign. The timing is painful, but not catastrophic for the standings: Barcelona remained nine points clear at the top of LaLiga after the victory.

For Barcelona, the issue is less about the title race than about protecting one of the most important young players in Europe. Yamal made his first-team debut in April 2023 at 15 years, 9 months and 16 days, and has already become a central figure in the club’s attack. Barcelona’s player profile lists him at 151 appearances, 45 goals and 45 assists, while also crediting him with a 2024 Kopa Trophy and a major role in the club’s 2024/25 domestic treble.

The setback also fits a broader pattern. Yamal has already dealt with groin and pubic-area problems several times this season, forcing Spain’s federation to step in twice. On October 3, 2025, the Real Federación Española de Fútbol withdrew him from duty against Georgia and Bulgaria because of discomfort in the pubic area. On November 11, 2025, Spain pulled him from another call-up after learning he had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure for the same issue.

That history makes the current hamstring injury a workload problem as much as a medical one. Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, have leaned heavily on a teenager whose rise has been unusually fast and unusually visible. Spain, meanwhile, is already looking toward a World Cup cycle that is moving through Mexico, with Puebla set to host the team’s final warm-up. Luis de la Fuente and the federation have a clear incentive to keep Yamal fresh for June’s tournament, where Spain opens Group H against Cape Verde on June 15.

Yamal acknowledged the frustration on social media, saying the injury kept him off the pitch when he wanted to be there most and adding, “this isn’t the end, it’s just a break.” For Barcelona and Spain alike, the message is the same: the next step is not to accelerate his recovery, but to avoid turning a short-term setback into a longer-term loss.