Lamine Yamal has firmly been in recent conversations when it comes to debating the best soccer player in the world. This summer’s World Cup had been expected to be Yamal’s grand international introduction as one of the sport’s elite talents. That is now in jeopardy, however, due to a hamstring injury he suffered on Wednesday. Yamal collapsed to the ground after scoring a penalty for Barcelona against Celta Vigo.
Below, we will dish out an injury update on Yamal, and look at if he will be able to play in the 2026 World Cup. We will also dive into Yamal’s Golden Boot odds and Spain’s odds to win the tournament.
Will Lamine Yamal be able to play in the World Cup?
The severity of Yamal’s hamstring injury has not yet officially been announced, but it appears to be a partial tear (Grade 2 injury). Barcelona announced Thursday that Yamal “will miss the remainder of the league season but is expected to be available for the World Cup.”
The recovery time for a mild hamstring strain is a few days to 2 weeks. The recovery time for a partial tear is 3-8 weeks. If it was determined that Yamal suffered a complete tear, he would likely have to miss a good chunk of the World Cup, if not the entire tournament.
But, we are operating under the assumption that this is a Grade 1 or Grade 2 injury.
Spain does not play its first World Cup game until June 15 when it will face Cape Verde at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
That game will take place 7 weeks and 5 days from the time the injury took place.
No doubt, Spain would love for the dynamic Yamal to play in their World Cup opener. But, if they want him to take the full 8 week recovery time for a Grade 2 injury, they may opt to have him sit this first one.
Cape Verde is one of the biggest longshots in the 2026 World Cup, as it has +100000 odds to win the title. ESP is still a -1100 favorite in the game against Cape Verde despite the Yamal injury.
Here is a look at Spain’s World Cup schedule.
- Monday, June 15: Spain vs. Cape Verde
- Sunday, June 21: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia
- Friday, June 26: Uruguay vs. Spain
Lamine Yamal Golden Boot odds
The Golden Boot goes to the top goal scorer in the World Cup. Yamal’s odds to win the honor have remained pretty much unchanged since news of the injury broke.
The 18-year-old was +1600 to win it last month. He is currently +1800 to win it at Fanatics Sportsbook.
This indicates that Yamal should be able to play in the World Cup despite the injury.
Only four players currently have better odds to win the trophy:
- Kylian Mbappe (+650)
- Harry Kane (+750)
- Lionel Messi (+1300)
- Erling Haaland (+1500)
Spain World Cup odds
Spain’s odds to win the World Cup also remain unchanged. La Roja is currently +450 to win it all, making them the favorite at Fanatics Sportsbook. France (+500), England (+650) and Argentina (+800) are the other top contenders.
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