Spain leaves Lamine Yamal behind
Spain traveled to Mexico for its final World Cup warmup, but one of its biggest stars was absent.
Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams and Víctor Muñoz did not train with Spain on Saturday as La Roja completed its final preparations for the last friendly before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spain travel Sunday afternoon from its training base in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Puebla, Mexico, where it will face Peru in a tuneup match on Monday night. The game is scheduled to kick off at 10 p.m. ET.
Trio remains in Tennessee
All three attacking players will miss the friendly against Peru after staying behind in Chattanooga to continue their recovery programs.
Spain’s coaching staff is taking a cautious approach with the trio, prioritizing their fitness ahead of the start of the World Cup rather than risking them in a non-competitive match.
Focus on 2026 World Cup opener
Despite their absence against Peru, there is optimism that Yamal, Williams and Muñoz will be available for Spain’s tournament debut.
The expectation is that all three will be fit enough to play at least some part in Spain’s opening World Cup match against Cape Verde on June 15, with kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.
For now, Spain appears unwilling to take any unnecessary chances as it enters the final stretch before the World Cup gets underway.
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