Yamal suffered the injury during a match for Barcelona on 22 April. He was ruled out for the remainder of the club's La Liga season, but de la Fuente said he had "no doubt" the 18 year-old star would be available when the coach including him on Spain's 26-man roster 25 May.

It was thought that Yamal might miss part or all of the group stage, but de la Fuente said that he expects him to be fit to face Cape Verde in Atlanta. However, he will not play in the friendly against Iraq along with fellow injured Spain players Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz.

"If nothing changes, he could be ready to play on June 15," De la Fuente said. "It doesn't mean that for sure he will play, we'll see. Maybe a few minutes, maybe just practice so he can improve his condition for the second match. We will have to evaluate."

Spain will play against Peru in Mexico before traveling to its World Cup training camp in Chattanooga. Following their opener against Cape Verde, Spain will play Saudi Arabia on June 21 in Atlanta and Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara.

Yamal finished second in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting for the best player in the world. He also helped Spain win the Euro 2024 title after turning 17 during the tournament.

He has six goals in 25 career appearances for the Spanish national team.