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Spain star Lamine Yamal has admitted that it remains "too soon" for him to play a full 90-minute match.
Yamal was only introduced for the final 20 minutes of Spain's frustrating 0-0 draw with Cabo Verde—marking his first appearance of any kind since April. Luis de la Fuente has previously faced criticism for how he has managed the teenage sensation—much to the visible frustration of Barcelona manager Hansi Flick—but is adopting a careful approach at this stage of the competition. Yamal is in agreement with that decision.
"It's too soon; it's unnecessary," the world-class talent told RTVE. "I'm going through an adaptation process. It's not the time to play a full match, though I can certainly play whatever minutes the coach wants."
Spain faces Saudi Arabia on Sunday in Atlanta. Both teams may be tied on one point each following back-to-back draws to start the tournament, but the reigning European champions remain strong favorites against a side ranked 56 positions below them in FIFA's world rankings.
"We're in no rush," Yamal stressed, "We have a fantastic squad with top-level players, and we need to take things calmly."
When Will Lamine Yamal Be Fully Fit?
When Yamal went down holding his hamstring after scoring a penalty for Barcelona two months ago, his thoughts immediately turned to this summer's tournament.
"For any player in the final stretch of the season, whenever there's an injury, you think about the World Cup—and obviously your club team—but the World Cup is always on your mind," he said. "Thank God the doctors told me I'd have plenty of time to recover, so here I am—happy."
Yamal is believed to have fully recovered from his hamstring problem, but the risk of re-injury remains significant so shortly after such a setback. If no further issues arise during training, De la Fuente is expected to steadily build up Yamal's playing time throughout the group stage, getting him ready for the knockout phase.
How Spain Can Win Without Yamal
As impressive as Cabo Verde's ageless goalkeeper (and volleyball coach) Vozinha was, Spain failed to generate nearly enough opportunities. Most worryingly, it was a familiar problem for La Roja, who endlessly recycled possession in front of a resolute defensive block.
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With neither Yamal nor fellow wide attacker Nico Williams available, De la Fuente made the mistake of deploying another central midfielder, Gavi in this case, in a wide role. Ferran Torres was also an awkward fit on the right flank, stripping Spain of almost all width until Yamal entered from the bench.
Against Cabo Verde, De la Fuente was notably hesitant to deploy Victor Muñoz, the Liverpool-bound 22-year-old who is the only other natural winger in Spain's squad. Only three La Liga players attempted more than 200 dribbles during the 2025–26 season: Yamal, Vinicius Junior and Muñoz. Without the option of turning to Real Madrid's Brazilian, De la Fuente has one compelling alternative at his disposal.