«I don’t want to be the next Messi. I want to be myself.»
Those were the words of Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal as the 18-year-old prepared for his first FIFA World Cup while recovering from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of action since April.
Yamal will remain at Spain’s base camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee, instead of traveling for the team’s final warm-up game, as he continues to rehabilitate a partial tear in his left hamstring suffered while playing for Barcelona on April 22.
Despite missing the remainder of the La Liga season, the winger was selected for Spain’s World Cup squad by coach Luis de la Fuente and remains hopeful of playing a part in the tournament.
“As a kid playing football, the World Cup has always been a dream,” Yamal said. «It will be my third World Cup and I am part of it. It seems incredible.»
Spain go into the tournament as reigning European champions and one of the favorites for the title, but Yamal has rejected such labels.
“Football is played on the field, not on paper,” he said. «We were not considered favorites to win the last euro. But we won it.»
The teenager also urged caution when assessing Spain’s prospects in Group H, which includes Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and debutants Cape Verde.
«Every team in the last 48 deserves respect. They are there because they have earned it,» he said.
Spain open their World Cup campaign against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15 and will hope Yamal’s recovery remains on track ahead of the group stage.
Published on June 8, 2026
