Lamine Yamal Withdrawn from Spain Duty After Groin Treatment Sparks Barcelona–La Roja Rift

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has been withdrawn from Spain’s national team for the current international window, deepening tensions between Barcelona and the Spanish Football Federation over the teenager’s medical treatment and fitness management.

The 18-year-old had played 90 minutes in recent matches against Real Madrid and Club Brugge, and remained on the pitch until the final moments of Barcelona’s 2–1 win over Celta Vigo on Sunday.

However, on Monday morning, Barcelona carried out what they described as an “invasive radiofrequency treatment” on Yamal to treat a sports hernia in his groin, recommending a seven to ten-day recovery period. As a result, Spain released him from international duty ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkiye.

Coach Luis de la Fuente has called up Rayo Vallecano forward Jorge de Frutos as Yamal’s replacement.

A statement from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) expressed “surprise and dismay”, claiming they were informed only at 13:47 on Monday that the procedure had taken place earlier that day, and did not receive Barcelona’s full medical report until 22:40 that night — hours after the operation.

This incident marks another flashpoint in the ongoing Barcelona–Spain standoff over player fitness management.

Tensions first erupted in September, when Barcelona accused Spain of giving Yamal pain-killing injections so he could play in international fixtures against Bulgaria and Turkiye. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick later criticised De la Fuente’s handling of the player’s workload, prompting the Spain boss to respond that Flick “lacked empathy” and to defend his team’s approach.

The latest development has once again strained communication and trust between the club and the national team, raising concerns about player welfare and medical transparency ahead of crucial fixtures.

Opinion Nigeria News