Spain manager rues absence of Barcelona star for 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

A number of Barcelona players will be in action during the 2026 World Cup, but one of them won’t be Fermin Lopez. The midfielder had an excellent chance of going with Spain, but an injury late in the 2025-26 season ruled him out of contention.

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has now confirmed to Diario AS that Fermin would have been included in his squad to go to North America, as he rued the absence of the talented Barcelona attacking midfielder.

“The absences that hurt the most are caused by injuries. Fermín is one of those. A footballer who was in a fantastic, exceptional moment, with confidence, security… It could have been his World Cup. And he falls due to an injury… There is no absurdity, but they are all very painful. Those are the ones that hurt, those absences hurt.”

De la Fuente: Lamine Yamal will at 100% for Spain’s first match

Image via Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images

De la Fuente also spoke on Lamine Yamal, whom he expects to be available to start with Spain take on Cape Verde in their first match of the 2026 World Cup next week.

“We were very worried (that Lamine Yamal would miss the World Cup). Because we saw that it was an injury that could have led to this. Surely that month and a half could have been extended. But the deadlines that are being met are exceptional in terms of forecasting and quality of recovery. And we are all not surprised, but very happy. We are very happy because we are seeing that the recovery is shortening, he is getting better every day. And that invites us to think that he will be perfectly fit for the first game.

“He is a very mature footballing player, a lot. And added to his talent, we are talking so much about him and that he is demonstrating on the pitch, with an unusual naturalness, all his ability, his category, his quality, his possibilities and his projection. And we celebrate him, but I keep saying that he is 18 years old and we have to continue to take care of him, we have to continue to support him, we have to continue to accompany him. Because he is still going to have many ups and downs that are normal and you have to always keep his feet on the ground. He has them, but you should never doubt and you have to be close. It is a good time to vindicate himself and demonstrate his full footballing potential. He is obsessed, mentalized and thinking about the World Cup.”