One of European football’s most exciting young talents has suffered a season-ending setback, as 18-year-old Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal confirmed a left hamstring injury that will rule him out for the remainder of Barcelona’s 2024-25 La Liga campaign. Fortunately for both club and country, initial medical assessments indicate Yamal will be fully fit in time to represent Spain at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
The injury occurred during Barcelona’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Celta Vigo this past Wednesday, just moments after Yamal scored the game’s opening goal from the penalty spot in the 40th minute. Immediately after converting the kick, the teenage prodigy began signaling to the Barcelona bench that he was in discomfort, before collapsing to the pitch clutching his injured left hamstring. Medical staff assisted Yamal off the field, and he left the stadium’s playing area straight for the club’s medical tunnel for immediate evaluation.
Barcelona officially confirmed the details of Yamal’s injury and treatment path in a statement released Thursday. The club confirmed that the winger will undergo a conservative, non-surgical treatment plan to rehabilitate the tear, and while he will miss all six of Barcelona’s remaining league matches this season, the projected recovery timeline puts him on track to be ready for the World Cup kickoff in June.
Yamal himself addressed the injury in a public post on his official Instagram account Thursday, opening up about the disappointment of missing the club’s run-in to the title. “This injury leaves me off the field at the time I most wanted to be, and it hurts more than I can explain,” he wrote. “It hurts not being able to fight with my team-mates, not being able to help when the team needs me. But I believe in them and I know they’re going to drop their souls in every game.”
The young star also emphasized that he will remain engaged with the squad throughout his recovery, saying, “I’ll be there, even if it’s from the outside, supporting, encouraging and pushing as one more. This is not the end, this is just a break. I’ll come back stronger, more eager than ever, and next season will be better.”
As defending La Liga champions, Barcelona currently hold a commanding position at the top of the league table, holding a nine-point lead over second-place rivals Real Madrid. The two Spanish giants are set to face off in a high-stakes clash at Barcelona’s Camp Nou on May 10, one of the six remaining matches Yamal will miss while recovering.
For the Spanish national team, the timeline of the injury is a major relief. La Roja will kick off their 2025 World Cup Group H campaign against Cape Verde on June 15, followed by group stage matches against Saudi Arabia on June 21 and Uruguay on June 27. Yamal, one of Spain’s most dynamic attacking talents, is expected to play a key role in the team’s World Cup run, and his projected timely recovery removes a major source of concern for national team coaching staff.
The report was first published by BBC Sport on August 16, 2025.