Spain have dismissed concerns over Lamine Yamal’s fitness ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final against Argentina. The Spanish Football Federation has confirmed the teenage forward is expected to be available despite training separately from the main squad during Thursday’s session in New Jersey.
Defender Pedro Porro also followed an individual programme as Spain resumed training after their 2-0 semi-final victory over France. The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) described the decision as part of a planned workload management strategy and maintained that neither player’s availability for Sunday’s final is in doubt.
Why did Lamine Yamal train separately?
Yamal’s separate session came after another demanding outing in the semi-final, where he spent much of the contest up against France full-backs Lucas Digne and Theo Hernandez. Although the Barcelona youngster completed the match, he was left dealing with the normal physical soreness that followed another high-intensity 90-minute performance.
After the victory over France, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente had also moved to allay fears over the teenager’s condition.
Meanwhile, Spain’s coaching staff are expected to reintegrate both players into full training before the final. Thursday’s schedule formed part of the team’s recovery plan rather than a response to any fresh injury setback.
Notably, Porro’s fitness is being monitored more closely after De la Fuente acknowledged following the semi-final that the Tottenham defender had been carrying a knock. As per media reports, the full-back is managing a minor hamstring strain, although the issue is not expected to prevent him from facing Argentina.
Spain completed the remainder of the training session without further concerns despite humid weather and temperatures reaching around 30 degrees Celsius in New Jersey. The squad now enters the final phase of preparations before Sunday’s title decider.
First Spain final in 16 years
De la Fuente’s side will be chasing only the second FIFA World Cup triumph in the country’s history after lifting the trophy in 2010. Standing in their way are defending champions Argentina, who are aiming to secure consecutive World Cup titles. They produced a stunning late comeback against England in the semi-final, winning the match 2-1 to make it to the summit clash.ย
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