Spain seeks first World Cup win as doubt remains over Lamine Yamal

Spain will try to rebound from a disappointing opening draw against Cape Verde when it meets Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday at 19:00, aiming for its first win at the 2026 World Cup and an advantage in the race for a playoff spot. After the first round, all teams in the group have one point, because Saudi Arabia and Uruguay also drew 1-1 in the parallel match.

The main question ahead of the game is whether Lamine Yamal will be able to play. Barcelona and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said the winger needs to be assessed, adding in comments to the Spanish media that he would definitely not play 90 minutes, but about 60. Later, in a press conference, De la Fuente said, “Lamine is fine, he will play as much as we see fit. The important thing is that he is back. He is determined to do something big.”

Defender Aymeric Laporte is also doubtful because of knee sensitivity, although the Spanish federation said he finished Thursday’s training session. Amid the negative mood around the national team, Andres Iniesta defended Spain in an opinion column in Marca.

Iniesta wrote that it is “hard not to think about what happened in South Africa,” and said Spain’s loss to Switzerland was worse than the current draw. “Now, it is only a draw,” he said, adding that difficult moments test a player “as an athlete and above all as a human being,” and that “this is the time to stay calm.”