A blow to Spain: Yamal will miss the opening matches of the 2026 World Cup. The medical team of the “red fury” has confirmed the concerns of fans: the key player won’t be able to recover in time to participate in the opening matches of the World Cup. It’s likely that Yamal will miss both the first two matches of the World Cup against Cabo Verde (June 15) and Saudi Arabia (June 21). The Spanish team expects to be ready for the final match of the group stage against Uruguay (June 26). Luis de la Fuente has already started to adjust the team’s tactics, but losing its 16-year-old leader would be a major blow to the team’s ambitions.