Lamine Yamal cleared for Spain's World Cup opener

Lamine Yamal has been declared fit for Spain's World Cup opener against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta, with Fabrizio Romano confirming his availability. Coach Luis de la Fuente can now consider Yamal among his attacking options for the tournament. Yamal sustained a hamstring strain and groin discomfort on April 22 while playing for Barcelona, ruling him out of the final weeks of the La Liga-winning campaign. De la Fuente retained him in the World Cup squad, planning to have him ready for the opener if the medical timeline was respected. Yamal remained at Spain's pre‑tournament base in Chattanooga, Tennessee, following an individual rehab programme alongside Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz. The load‑management approach appears to have paid off, as he is now cleared to train with the squad. De la Fuente has built much of Spain's attacking identity around Yamal since the Euros, highlighting his importance despite limited minutes. Yamal's directness in one‑on‑one situations and ability to create chances from wide areas give Spain a distinct attacking threat. Spain will manage his minutes across the group matches with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, aiming for full availability by the knockout stage.