Spain Welcomes Yamal and Nico Back to Training Ahead of World Cup
Spain’s World Cup build-up finally brought a piece of good news on Thursday. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams were back on the grass.
Both wingers trained with the squad on June 11, 2026, easing the anxiety that had crept in around La Roja’s camp ahead of Monday’s Group-stage opener against Cape Verde in Atlanta. For a side that blitzed its way to Euro 2024 glory on the back of their fearless wing play, seeing the pair moving freely again mattered almost as much as any tactical session.
Yamal, Barcelona’s teenage phenomenon, had not played since suffering a hamstring injury on April 22. Every week of his absence sharpened the question: could Spain really arrive at a World Cup without their most explosive attacking spark at full tilt? On Thursday, at least, he was back in stride, part of the group, boots on, ball at his feet.
On the opposite flank, Nico Williams has lived a similar stop-start story. The Athletic Bilbao winger missed the end of his club’s season and has been sidelined for a month, another key piece of Luis de la Fuente’s attacking puzzle stuck in the treatment room while the clock ticked towards Atlanta.
The Spain coach had tried to calm the noise earlier in the week, expressing confidence that both would be available to play some part against Cape Verde, while warning it was “unlikely” either would start. Thursday’s session backed up that cautious optimism: present, involved, smiling — but still on the comeback trail.
“We know that both of them are coming back from important injuries,” right-back Pedro Porro told reporters. “They are recovering, they are happy, they are with the group and that is the most important thing.”
For a squad that leans heavily on its collective chemistry, simply having them back in full view, sharing rondos and jokes, felt like a subtle shift in mood.
The tactical picture, though, looks set to remain unchanged for now. Spanish media report that De la Fuente is poised to stick with the same XI that beat Peru 3-1 in their final warm-up friendly on Monday. That would mean Alex Baena and Ferran Torres once again taking on the wide roles, tasked with providing the width and incision usually owned by Yamal and Williams.
It is a pragmatic call. Spain know the tournament is a marathon, not a sprint, and risking two of their crown jewels in the opening fixture against debutants Cape Verde would be a gamble too far. Better to build their rhythm, bank three points, and bring the star wingers back step by step.
For now, Spain’s plan is clear: trust the depth that carried them through Peru, lean on Baena’s craft and Ferran’s penalty-box instincts, and keep Yamal and Nico close, ready to be unleashed when the stakes rise and the World Cup truly catches fire.
