Yamal and Williams Return to Training for Spain's World Cup Opener
Spain’s World Cup build‑up finally brought a dose of relief on Thursday. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams were back on the grass.
Both wingers, central to La Roja’s Euro 2024 triumph, trained with the squad on June 11, easing growing anxiety over their fitness ahead of Monday’s World Cup opener against Cape Verde in Atlanta.
Yamal has not played since April 22, when a hamstring injury halted his season at Barcelona and raised fears that Spain’s most electrifying young talent might miss the start of the tournament. Williams, the livewire from Athletic Bilbao, has also been sidelined, absent for the final stretch of his club’s campaign and out of action for a month.
On Thursday, they were back with the group. Moving. Smiling. Competing.
“We know that both of them are coming back from important injuries,” he told reporters. “They are recovering, they are happy, they are with the group and that is the most important thing.”
Luis de la Fuente had already tried to cool the panic earlier in the week, stating he was confident both players would be fit enough to feature at some stage against Cape Verde, while warning it was “unlikely” either would start. The training session in question backed up that cautious optimism: no shortcuts, but no red flags either.
The plan, for now, is continuity. Spanish media report that De la Fuente is ready to stick with the XI that beat Peru 3-1 in their final warm‑up friendly, a performance that underlined Spain’s depth even without their two star wingers. In that game, Alex Baena and Ferran Torres filled the wide roles, and they are expected to do so again in Atlanta, deputising while Yamal and Williams work towards full match sharpness.
Spain know what those two bring when fully fit: pace that tears open compact defences, one‑on‑one brilliance, and the kind of fearless invention that turned Euro 2024 into a statement tournament for a new generation. For now, though, the priority is simple – get them back without risking a setback.
Cape Verde await, dangerous underdogs on a global stage. Spain will likely start without their two most explosive wide men, but with the reassuring sight of Yamal and Williams back in training, the world champions can at least look at the touchline on Monday and know that, if needed, game‑changing firepower will be sitting there, ready.
