Barcelona’s 2-0 La Liga win over Celta Vigo took a few dark turns on Wednesday as not only was the game paused for a fan in the stands to receive medical treatment, but both Lamine Yamal and João Cancelo left the game with injuries in the first half.
While it appears Portugal international Cancelo may have avoided a major injury, with Gerard Romero reporting that the full back trained as per usual on Thursday, the news was less positive regarding Spain star Yamal, who immediately pulled up and clutched his hamstring after scoring a penalty at the Camp Nou.
In a statement released by Barcelona, the club said, “Tests this Thursday have confirmed that first-team player Lamine Yamal has suffered a hamstring injury in his left leg.
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“The player will follow a conservative treatment plan. He will miss the remainder of the league season but is expected to be available for the World Cup.”
While a major blow for Hansi Flick and Co., with Barcelona currently top of La Liga with six games to go, the fact that he should still be able to head to this summer’s World Cup will come as very welcome news for the Spanish national team and boss Luis de la Fuente.
The World Cup, which will be held in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, is set to kick off on June 11 in Mexico City, with Spain’s tournament to begin on June 15 against Group H rivals Cape Verde in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
They will then remain in Georgia to face Saudi Arabia six days later, before closing out their group stage against Uruguay at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico.
While the news could have been far worse for 18-year-old Yamal, knowing he’ll be forced to miss the remainder of the season clearly upset the 2025 Ballon d’Or runner-up.
“This injury sidelines me at the very moment I wanted to be on the pitch the most, and it hurts more than I can explain,” he wrote on social media. “It hurts not being able to fight alongside my teammates, not being able to help when the team needs me.
“But I believe in them, and I know they will pour their hearts and souls into every match.
“I’ll be there—even if only from the sidelines—supporting, cheering, and pushing them on just like one of the team. This isn’t the end; it’s just a pause. I’ll come back stronger, hungrier than ever, and next season will be even better. Thank you for all the messages, and Visca el Barça!”
Yamal finishes the season having scored 24 goals and racked up 18 assists in 45 games across all competitions, during which the youngster has already won his second career Supercopa de España title, with a third league crown a likelihood in the weeks to come.