Yamal causes a rift between Barca and Spain

Barcelona and the Spanish national team are once more at odds regarding Lamine Yamal, with the club wanting to safeguard the young star's physical condition, while coach de la Fuente pushes for his inclusion.

According to SPORT’s report, the relationship between Barcelona and Spain is showing signs of strain again over managing Lamine Yamal’s fitness. The 18-year-old prodigy from Camp Nou is dealing with a prolonged pubalgia issue, making the balance between club and country particularly delicate.

In recent weeks, Yamal has not been at full strength. Barcelona’s medical team has carefully limited the young forward’s playing time to prevent recurring injury. The club believes Yamal needs rest to fully recover, but Spain coach Luis de la Fuente seems not entirely convinced.

The situation became sensitive after Yamal returned from Spain’s September camp with aggravated injuries, despite having played just over 150 minutes for the club. Previously, coach Hansi Flick expressed disappointment that the player came back not fully fit.

Currently, although tensions between Flick and de la Fuente have somewhat eased, communication about Yamal’s fitness and schedule remains limited, especially regarding managing his playing minutes. While Barcelona wants Yamal to rest, the young forward has remained a regular starter since the October international break, logging 317 minutes across all matches.

From de la Fuente’s perspective, if Yamal is fit enough to play crucial matches like El Clasico or the Champions League for Barcelona, he should also be available to help Spain qualify for the World Cup.

Therefore, the decision to call up Yamal for the matches against Georgia and Turkey will likely depend on how much he plays in the upcoming game against Club Brugge. All eyes are on how Flick manages the Spanish prodigy’s minutes in Belgium.

Related articles

Lamine Yamal breaks Mbappe’s record Lamine Yamal made history by officially becoming the youngest player ever included in the FIFPRO Best XI 2025, surpassing the record previously held by Kylian Mbappe. See more