Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has moved to ease concerns over Lamine Yamal's fitness ahead of the reigning European champions' opening FIFA World Cup 2026 fixture against Cape Verde in Group H.
Yamal missed Spain's pre-tournament friendly against Peru last week, prompting questions about whether the Barcelona forward would be available for the group stage opener. De la Fuente, however, struck an upbeat tone when speaking to reporters ahead of the match.
"The good news is that Lamine is in perfect condition. He's arrived at this point in the state in which we wanted him to be. He's fine, just like Nico [Williams] and Victor [Muñoz]. They're all available, although some won't play the entire game,"de la Fuente told the press.
Minutes, not a full match
The Spain coach made clear that while Yamal is fit enough to feature, a full 90-minute outing remains off the table for now. "The doctors say Lamine can play tomorrow without any issues. Not to play 90 minutes, but to play some minutes, yes," he explained.
De la Fuente applied the same caution to Nico Williams, noting that the pair have trained together extensively and could be called upon should the game demand it. "The process [with Williams] is similar. They've been working together a lot of days, a lot of hours, and with the relationship they have, they've been happy. They could play, if we think the game demands it."
Cape Verde the opposition, but Yamal's season speaks for itself
Cape Verde, ranked 67th in the world, are among the lower-ranked sides at this World Cup, which may reduce the urgency of risking Yamal from the start. Spain are widely regarded as among the tournament favourites, buoyed by their Euro 2024 triumph.
Before the injury that curtailed his campaign's final weeks, Yamal had delivered an outstanding season for Barcelona — scoring 24 goals and registering 18 assists across 45 appearances in all competitions. That form helped Barcelona secure back-to-back La Liga titles, finishing eight points ahead of rivals Real Madrid.
With such a commanding lead in Group H expected, de la Fuente has the luxury of managing his prize asset carefully from the outset of Spain's World Cup 2026 journey.
