Spain Welcomes Yamal and Williams Back Ahead of World Cup Opener

Spain’s first real win of this World Cup came four days before a ball is kicked in Atlanta.

On Thursday, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams stepped back onto the training pitch with the rest of the squad, easing the anxiety that had crept into La Roja’s camp ahead of Monday’s opener against Cape Verde.

Two wingers, two sensations of Euro 2024, and two bodies that have betrayed them for most of this season. Their presence alone changed the mood.

Yamal, Barcelona’s teenage phenomenon, had not played since pulling up with a hamstring injury on April 22. For a player who lives off acceleration and sharp changes of direction, that kind of layoff always raises doubts. Williams, the relentless runner from Athletic Bilbao, had also been sidelined for a month, missing the end of his club’s campaign.

Both joined the group session, both moved well enough to offer a visible lift. No grimaces, no separate drills, no isolation. Just two key attackers back in the fold.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente had already tried to calm the waters earlier in the week, insisting he expected the pair to be available in some capacity against Cape Verde, while warning that a starting role was unlikely. Thursday’s training backed up that cautious optimism: they are close, but not quite at full throttle.

Inside the camp, the message is clear. No risks.

“We know that both of them are coming back from important injuries,” right-back Pedro Porro told reporters. “They are recovering, they are happy, they are with the group and that is the most important thing.”

For a squad built on rhythm and automatisms, simply having them around matters. Yamal’s ability to unpick a low block and Williams’ direct running in transition give Spain dimensions few teams can match. But La Roja also know this tournament will be a marathon, not a sprint, and burning them out in the opening game would be reckless.

Spanish media expect De la Fuente to stick with the side that beat Peru 3-1 in their final warm-up friendly, a performance that offered enough control and incision to convince the coach he can afford to be patient. That would mean Alex Baena and Ferran Torres keeping their places on the flanks, tasked with covering for two of the most exciting wide players in world football.

Baena brings craft between the lines, Torres a knack for arriving in scoring positions at the right moment. Neither has Yamal’s audacity or Williams’ raw pace, but they understand the system and arrive in better physical condition. For now, that counts.

Cape Verde in Atlanta is not the glamour tie of the group, yet it suddenly feels like a crucial staging post. Manage minutes, avoid setbacks, bank three points. If Spain get that balance right, Yamal and Williams can be phased in as the tournament hardens and the opposition sharpens.

On Thursday, there were no declarations of full fitness, no bold promises. Just two wingers back on the grass, testing their bodies, smiling with teammates.

For Spain, that was enough. The real question now is how long De la Fuente will wait before unleashing them on the World Cup.