A new crisis appears to be brewing between Barcelona and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) over Lamine Yamal.
The 18-year-old was supposed to join the Spanish national team camp in preparation for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey, but Barcelona’s management surprised “La Roja” with a sudden move.
The RFEF issued a statement expressing its shock after receiving a medical report on Monday indicating that Yamal had undergone surgery to treat groin pain and needs at least 10 days of rest, thus ruling him out of the current international break.
The statement read: “The medical services of the Spanish Football Federation expressed their surprise and dismay upon learning at 1:47 PM on Monday, November 10, the official start of the national team camp, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone surgery that morning to treat pain in his groin area.”
He continued, “This procedure was carried out without any prior communication with the national team’s medical staff, who only learned of the details through a report received at 10:40 PM last night, which included a medical recommendation for a rest period of between 7 and 10 days.”
He concluded, “Given this situation, and always prioritizing the player’s health, safety, and well-being, the Spanish Football Federation decided to exclude him.”
According to Spanish newspapers, there is discontent within the Spanish national team regarding what happened. They believe the plan was designed to prevent the player from joining Luis de la Fuente’s squad. However, there is no legal repercussions for Barcelona, and all procedures were correct.
Yamal is expected to be ready as soon as the international break ends, to be at the forefront of coach Hansi Flick’s squad for the matches against Athletic Bilbao and Chelsea.
Yamal has been suffering from groin pain since last September, which has caused him to miss several matches. His performance has also declined upon his return, making surgery the safest and best solution to resolve this chronic muscle problem.
