Luis de la Fuente’s Spain will face Georgia knowing that a victory all but guarantees a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but they’ll have to do so without Lamine Yamal.
Yamal’s three assists during Spain’s first two games of UEFA’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers helped his side take a commanding lead in Group E. He was sensational in La Roja’s 6–0 win against Türkiye back in September, a result that has Spain on the brink of qualification.
A victory against Georgia would mean only Türkiye can equal Spain on points atop the group—assuming Türkiye beats Bulgaria on Saturday.
Türkiye could equal Spain on points when the two nations meet in the final round of games next week, but La Roja would have to lose 7–0 at home to relinquish the top spot of the group, given head-to-head results is the first tiebreaker in UEFA’s qualifiers.
Essentially, if Spain beat Georgia on Saturday, they’ll punch a ticket to next summer’s tournament. Still, Yamal’s withdrawal from Spain’s camp earlier in the week continues to steal headlines and it’ll prevent him from representing La Roja in the remainder of 2025.
Why Lamine Yamal Isn’t Playing for Spain vs. Georgia
Yamal spent just one day in Spain’s November camp before withdrawing and returning to Barcelona last Monday after undergoing an “invasive radiofrequency procedure” to treat his nagging groin ailment.
De la Fuente delivered a strongly-worded response after the fact hinting that Barcelona went behind the national team’s back, revealing he was surprised to learn of Yamal’s procedure. The manager went as far as to say he’d “never experienced a similar situation.”
The Yamal injury saga dates back to September, when after playing every minute of Spain’s two qualifiers, he returned to Barcelona only for the club to find out he was injured. Hansi Flick had strong words for La Roja’s handling of his star player and Yamal went on to miss five of Barça’s next six games.
Despite the ongoing feud, both Spain and Barcelona’s priority is Yamal’s long-term health, which is why De la Fuente opted to send the teenager back to Catalonia to continue his recovery. He’s expected to feature for Barça against Athletic Club after the international break.
Without the Ballon d’Or runner-up, Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal is the main candidate to start on the right wing against Georgia. However, De la Fuente could also deploy Yamal’s Barcelona teammate, Ferran Torres, in that role, given he’s shown to be capable playing across the attacking line.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Lamine Yamal is Not Playing for Spain vs. Georgia.
