Lamine Yamal, a last-minute withdrawal from Spain’s squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup due to pubalgia

Lamine Yamal will not play for the Spanish national team in the final two matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey. The young FC Barcelona star has been withdrawn by coach Luis de la Fuente after it was revealed — with “surprise” and “concern” — that the player underwent an invasive radiofrequency procedure on Monday to treat his pubalgia, without informing the national team’s medical staff in advance.

“The RFEF Medical Services wish to express their surprise and concern after learning at 1:47 p.m. on Monday, November 10 — the official start of the national team’s training camp — that Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure that same morning,” read an official statement from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

The RFEF clarified that the medical procedure was carried out without prior communication to the national team staff and that they only received a report later that evening, at 10:40 p.m., recommending 7 to 10 days of rest for the player.

The incident comes after comments made in September by Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, who criticized De la Fuente for “not taking care of the players” following Lamine’s return to Barcelona injured after his last call-up with Spain.

Given the proximity of Spain’s upcoming matches — against Georgia (Saturday in Tbilisi) and Turkey (Tuesday, November 18 in Seville) — De la Fuente decided to release Lamine Yamal from the squad. The player will return to Barcelona on Tuesday to continue his recovery under the club’s supervision.

“In light of this situation, and prioritizing the player’s health, safety, and well-being, the RFEF has decided to release him from the current call-up. We hope he recovers well and wish him a full and speedy recovery,” the statement concluded.