Yamal released from Spain squad for WC qualifiers after medical treatment

Spain dropped Lamine Yamal on Tuesday from the squad for their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches after the star forward underwent more treatment on a nagging groin injury.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced “their surprise and upset” after discovering on Monday that the 18-year-old “had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure to treat his pubic discomfort that same morning”, a statement on Tuesday said.

Yamal had been due to report for international duty on Monday for the start of the Spain team’s training camp.

“This procedure was performed without prior notification to the national team’s medical staff, who only learned of the details through a report received... last night (Monday),” the statement added.

The recommended recovery time after such a procedure is seven to 10 days, according to the RFEF statement, with the federation deciding “to release the player from the current squad” to prioritise Yamal’s “health, safety and well-being”.

The Barcelona star has suffered from a groin problem in recent weeks and was forced to miss Spain’s last round of qualifiers in October.

Spain top Group E with a 100 percent record after four outings, and can book their spot at the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico over the next two matchdays.

They take on Georgia on Saturday in Tbilisi, before welcoming Turkey to Seville on November 18. Yamal, capped 23 times by Spain, has netted six goals and contributed six assists in 11 matches this season for Barcelona.

In September, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick criticised Spain for what he said was playing Yamal for unnecessary minutes in two easy wins in World Cup qualifying while, according to Flick, his player was feeling discomfort.

The federation said in response to Flick that it never received any notification from Barcelona that Yamal was injured and the national team’s medical personnel have frequent communication with clubs.

Agencies