Lamine Yamal will take his place in Spain’s starting eleven against Saudi Arabia on Sunday despite the Barcelona prodigy admitting he is not yet ready to play a full 90 minutes. The 18 year old winger has become a focal point of concern for manager Luis de la Fuente as the European champions attempt to recover from their shock opening draw with Cape Verde in the World Cup 2026 group stage.
Yamal came into the tournament carrying a hamstring problem that forced him to miss the end of the domestic season with Barcelona. He managed just 20 minutes as a substitute in the goalless stalemate against the Cape Verde minnows, a result that has placed enormous pressure on Spain to collect three points in Atlanta, Georgia. Speaking candidly to Spanish broadcaster TVE, the teenage sensation revealed the delicate balance between his fitness and the team’s needs. “I’m fine, I’m feeling good, but it’s too soon, it’s unnecessary,” Yamal explained about the prospect of completing a full match. “I’m still settling in. It’s not the right time to play a full match yet, but I can play for as many minutes as the manager wants.”
De la Fuente has made several ces to the side that disappointed in the tournament opener. Pedro Porro will replace Marcos Llorente at right back, with the Atletico Madrid utility man having been deployed out of his natural midfield position in the first match. Marc Cucurella, who completed a high profile transfer to Real Madrid this past season, retains his place on the left side of defence. Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte will continue their partnership at the heart of the Spanish backline, providing experience and composure as the side seeks to impose itself on the match.
In midfield, De la Fuente is expected to retain faith in Rodri, Pedri and Dani Olmo, a trio that controlled possession against Cape Verde but struggled to create clear scoring opportunities. The ing configuration appears more fluid, with Nico Williams likely to feature on the left flank if he has recovered sufficiently from the injury problems that plagued his campaign at Athletic Club. Yamal will operate from the right, with Alex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal completing the forward line as Spain searches for the creativity and incision that was so conuously absent in their opening fixture.
Compounding Spain’s concerns is a fresh injury blow to Victor Munoz, the Liverpool bound winger who arrived in North America already nursing a calf complaint. The Spanish Football Federation released a statement confirming that Munoz has suffered an additional muscle injury during his rehabilitation process, casting serious doubt over his participation in the remainder of the group stage. “During his scheduled and individualised recovery process, an additional muscle injury has occurred, which will delay his return to competition,” the federation announced. “His availability for upcoming matches will depend on his progress and rehabilitation in the coming days.” Munoz’s absence further limits De la Fuente’s ing options at a critical juncture of the tournament.
Spain’s struggles in their opener have raised uncomfortable questions about a squad widely considered among the favourites to lift the trophy. Cape Verde, ranked far below the European champions, executed a disciplined defensive performance that exposed Spain’s reliance on individual brilliance rather than collective cohesion. Saudi Arabia, while not considered genuine contenders, will have watched that match with considerable interest and may believe they can secure a positive result if they replicate the same tactical approach.
For Spain, anything less than victory would constitute a crisis, placing their progression to the knockout stages in genuine jeopardy and intensifying scrutiny on De la Fuente’s squad selection and tactical decisions. Kick off at Atlanta Stadium is scheduled for 5pm BST on Sunday, with millions watching to see whether Spain can rediscover the form that made them champions of Europe.
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