Spain coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed Sunday that teenage star Lamine Yamal, along with Nico Williams and Victor Munoz, are on track to be available for their World Cup opener against Cape Verde on June 15. Yamal, 18, has been managing groin issues and a hamstring injury, while Williams and Munoz have also been recovering from injuries. The trio remained at Spain's training base in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to continue rehabilitation, skipping Monday's final warm-up match against Peru.
"If there are no setbacks in the coming days, we expect them to be available on the 15th," De la Fuente said. He added that all three are within the expected timelines and could be selected at some point during the match.
Spain faces Peru in Puebla before heading to Atlanta for the World Cup opener. De la Fuente emphasized they are taking the match seriously, not treating it as a mere warm-up. Spain enters the tournament as a leading contender after their Euro 2024 victory, with a Goldman Sachs model giving them a tournament-high 26% chance of winning the trophy.
Forward Yeremy Pino said the team embraces the favorites tag, noting that pressure should improve their performance.