Fermin Lopez to Miss World Cup After Fractured Foot
Spain and Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez is set to miss the World Cup after suffering a fractured foot, a brutal blow for one of La Liga’s sharpest rising forces and a significant setback for Luis de la Fuente’s plans.
The 23-year-old broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Real Betis on Sunday. What looked at first like a routine knock quickly turned into something far more serious. Barcelona later confirmed the fracture and announced that Lopez will undergo surgery, though the club declined to give any timeline for his return.
For Spain, the timing could hardly be worse.
De la Fuente names his World Cup squad on Monday, 25 May, and Lopez was on course to be part of it. With seven caps already and a growing role in the national setup, he had moved from “promising option” to near-certainty for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Instead, Spain’s coach must now redraw part of his blueprint.
Key piece lost at the wrong moment
Spain open their World Cup campaign against Cape Verde on Monday, 15 June in Atlanta (17:00 BST), before taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H. In a group that demands control, tempo and incision from midfield, Lopez looked tailor‑made.
His club form told the story. Over the past two seasons he has forced his way from prospect to pillar at Barcelona, helping the Catalans secure back-to-back La Liga titles. This year he produced 13 goals and 17 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions, numbers that would be impressive for a forward, let alone a midfielder.
He did it while twice battling back from groin injuries, returning each time without losing edge or aggression. That resilience only underlined why De la Fuente trusted him.
Now, instead of flying to the United States as one of Spain’s most dynamic options between the lines, Lopez faces weeks – perhaps months – of recovery, rehabilitation and uncertainty. A World Cup that looked like the natural next step in his rise has been snatched away by one awkward moment against Betis.
From Euro high to World Cup heartbreak
The tournament would have been Lopez’s second major finals with Spain. He featured, if only briefly, in their Euro 2024 triumph, playing 28 minutes during a campaign that restored Spain to the summit of European football and hinted at a new core built around players like him.
That summer felt like the beginning of something. This one will feel very different.
For Barcelona, the loss is significant but not terminal; they have time and depth to absorb his absence as he recovers. For Spain, the impact is sharper. World Cups do not wait. De la Fuente must now look elsewhere for the energy, goals and creativity Lopez was expected to bring to a midfield already rich in technicians but lighter on pure end product.
Spain will still arrive in Atlanta with ambition and pedigree. The group remains winnable, the path ahead still enticing.
But they will walk out for that opener against Cape Verde without a player who, by rights, should have been in the thick of it. For Fermin Lopez, the World Cup has gone from imminent reality to distant horizon, and the next time Spain gather on football’s biggest stage, he will be desperate to make sure his chance is not taken away again.
