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Spain and Cape Verde kickstart Group H at the World Cup 2026, but will Lamine Yamal play the game?
Luis de la Fuente's Spain side are highly-fancied at this year's World Cup with many neutrals expecting them to go all the way and build on their Euro 2024 success.
Cape Verde should not cause them too many issues, but the Spaniards may have to do it without their star man.
Lamine Yamal can't play a full 90 minutes for Spain yet
Wonderkid Lamine Yamal is the headline act for Spain, but the Barcelona ace came into the World Cup 2026 with some fitness concerns hanging over his head.
Yamal missed the warm-up friendly against Peru last week but his national team manager is optimistic about the chance of the forward returning very soon.
Speaking to the press ahead of the Group H clash with Cape Verde, de la Fuente said: "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."
With Spain predicted to overwhelm Cape Verde, there's a good chance that de la Fuente might not even need Yamal.
Discussing the finer details of Yamal's condition, de la Fuente added: "The doctors say Lamine can play tomorrow without any issues. Not to play 90 minutes, but to play some minutes, yes.
"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."
Given Cape Verde are ranked at number 67 in the world, one of the lowest-ranked teams in the competition, you'd think Spain will be just fine without needing to risk Yamal.
Prior to his late-season injury, the teenager had enjoyed another productive season with Barcelona, scoring 24 times and laying on 18 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
This contribution helped Barcelona win their second consecutive La Liga title, as they finished eight points clear of rivals Real Madrid.
