Fermin Lopez Injury: Spain's World Cup Hopes Crushed
Spain’s plans for the World Cup have taken a brutal hit. Fermin Lopez, one of Barcelona’s rising pillars and a growing influence in Luis de la Fuente’s midfield, is expected to miss the tournament after fracturing his right foot.
The 23-year-old broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during Barcelona’s 3-1 win over Real Betis on Sunday, an otherwise routine league victory that suddenly turned into a national headache. The club confirmed the injury and announced that Lopez will undergo surgery, but stopped short of offering any timetable for his return.
For Spain, the silence around that timeline speaks loudly enough.
A key piece lost at the worst possible time
Lopez has forced his way into the Spain setup over the past year, collecting seven caps and steadily convincing De la Fuente that he belonged in the World Cup squad for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Barring this setback, he would almost certainly have heard his name when the coach reads out his list on Monday, 25 May.
Instead, Spain must redraw part of their blueprint just weeks before kick-off.
De la Fuente’s side open their campaign against Cape Verde in Atlanta on Monday, 15 June (17:00 BST), before Group H meetings with Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Lopez was not just another name in the pool; he was a live option to tilt games, a midfielder with a knack for timing his runs and threading final passes in tight spaces.
Now that option disappears.
Barcelona’s relentless engine sidelined
At club level, the blow is just as sharp. Lopez has become a fixture for Barcelona over the past two seasons, helping the Catalans secure back-to-back La Liga titles and emerging as one of the side’s most productive midfielders.
This season alone he delivered 13 goals and 17 assists in 48 appearances across all competitions, numbers that would stand out for a forward, let alone a midfielder who has twice had to fight back from groin injuries. He played through pain, adapted to different roles, and still found ways to decide matches.
That consistency made him one of the most in-form Spanish midfielders heading into the summer. It also made this injury feel particularly cruel.
From Euro high to World Cup heartbreak
The World Cup was set to be the next step in Lopez’s international rise. He featured, if only briefly, in Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 campaign, logging 28 minutes but earning a medal and a taste of major-tournament pressure. This summer was meant to bring a bigger role, more responsibility, and a chance to translate his Barcelona form onto the game’s grandest stage.
Instead, Spain must turn to others while one of their most dynamic midfielders watches from afar, boot on his foot, surgery scar healing, wondering how different this summer might have looked.
