Yamal faces consecutive 'storms' at both Barcelona and the Spanish national team

A teammate of Lamine Yamal for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team has been announced to be sidelined for approximately one month.

The football world eagerly awaits the clash between Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal as the Argentina and Spain national teams compete for the 2026 Finalissima championship, a match currently scheduled for March 27 in Qatar. However, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have prompted FIFA to reconsider hosting the match at Lusail Stadium. In this context, Spain's head coach Luis de la Fuente has suggested that officials find an alternative venue if necessary.

While the reigning European champions continue preparations for this match, they have received unfortunate news regarding their squad. Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde suffered a hamstring injury during the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona confirmed on its official X account: “First-team player Alejandro Balde has sustained an injury to the distal tendon of his left hamstring. Tests indicate the recovery process will take approximately four weeks.”

Balde's absence places Coach De la Fuente in a difficult position regarding selection for the left-back role, as Marc Cucurella is also injured. The Chelsea defender has not played since the match against Leeds United on February 10, although he has returned to training and is expected to regain full fitness in the coming days.

The Spanish national team's injury list continues to grow. Mikel Merino (broken foot) and Samu Omorodion (torn anterior cruciate ligament) are confirmed unavailable, while Nico Williams' availability remains uncertain as he has not played since February 11 due to a groin issue.

Meanwhile, although CONMEBOL, UEFA, and the relevant federations still wish to keep the match scheduled for March 27, finding a suitable host venue is proving difficult. Miami and London were considered but are not viable options. The Hard Rock Stadium is serving the Miami Open tennis tournament, and Wembley is already booked for the England national team's friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

The option of hosting in Madrid also faces logistical hurdles. Although the Santiago Bernabeu and Metropolitano stadiums were considered, Atletico Madrid's home ground is already scheduled to host a friendly between the Moroccan and Ecuadorian national teams on the same day. Local authorities view hosting two major international matches with large crowds in the same city simultaneously as a security risk.

According to Diario AS, Morocco has expressed interest in hosting the match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 69,500. The report also states that Portugal has emerged as a potential candidate, ready to propose the home stadiums of Porto and Benfica as neutral venues for the match.