Barcelona star Lamine Yamal returns after longest injury absence of his career | OneFootball

Several FC Barcelona players were on the pitch as Spain played their opening game of the World Cup 2026 last night on Monday, against Cape Verde, which surprisingly ended in a 0-0 draw. Pau Cubarsi, Pedri, Ferran Torres, and Gavi were all a part of Luis de la Fuente’s starting lineup for this game.

Latter in the second half, two more Blaugrana players stepped on the pitch for Spain, i.e., Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal. Both of them were introduced by the Spanish coach to get a goal in the last phase of the game, but unfortunately, that goal never came.

Still, his introduction on to the pitch was significant for Yamal, primarily because this was his first game in a World Cup. Meanwhile, as Mundo Deportivo has noted, this game also marked his return to a football pitch after having been sidelined for up to 55 days, making this layoff the longest of his career up to now.

The winger suffered a leg injury back on 22nd April, during a league match between Barcelona and Celta Vigo. Following that injury, he missed the six games that were left in La Liga, and also the two pre-World Cup friendlies, against Iraq and Peru, for Spain.

In Spain’s opening game against Cape Verde, Yamal came on to the pitch on the 71st minute, replacing his Barcelona teammates Gavi. His return came in more stressful conditions than were previously expected, as Spain had still not scored a goal despite being heavy favorites to win this game. Ultimately, the game ended without a goal, even though Yamal created some dangerous opportunities.

Before this layoff, the forward’s longest injury had come back in 2024, when he remained on the sidelines for 23 days because of a sprained ankle, missing five games. Then in December of that same year, he again suffered a sprained ankle that kept him out for 21 days, missing two games.

Now, after suffering the longest injury layoff of his career, Lamine Yamal is already back on the pitch. Hopefully, he would get back to his best shape as soon as possible