Spain Back at Full Strength Ahead of World Cup Opener Against Cape Verde

Sunday, June 14, 2026

Spain will begin their World Cup campaign against Cape Verde with key players Víctor Muñoz, Lamine Yamal, and Nico Williams back in training after recovering from injuries. Although these players may not start the opener, their return bolsters Spain’s squad as they aim to improve on past tournament performances and contend for their second World Cup title.

Spain will enter its World Cup opener against Cape Verde on Monday with a full squad, following the return to training of key players who had been sidelined by injuries. Forward Víctor Muñoz rejoined team practices on Friday, a day after Barcelona wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams resumed training as well.

The Spanish squad had faced multiple injury challenges in the lead-up to the tournament. Midfielders Mikel Merino and Fabián Ruiz also experienced injury setbacks but have since rejoined the team. However, Barcelona midfielder Fermín López will miss the tournament due to a fractured foot sustained recently.

Among the injured, the most significant concern had been Yamal, an 18-year-old winger regarded as a potential leader for Spain’s campaign. Yamal suffered a left hamstring injury in April during a Spanish league match but has recovered sufficiently to return to training. Williams, who also sustained a hamstring injury in May while playing for Athletic Bilbao, had been sidelined for the remainder of the club season to focus on World Cup readiness. Muñoz’s injury, a muscle strain incurred in May while playing for Osasuna, has also healed.

Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente indicated that though Muñoz, Yamal, and Williams are back in training, they may not start against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta, Georgia. Instead, these players are expected to be fully fit and potentially feature more prominently in the team’s second group stage game against Saudi Arabia on June 21, also in Atlanta. Spain’s final group match will take place on June 26 in Guadalajara, Mexico, against Uruguay.

Spain, having trained in Tennessee ahead of the tournament, seeks to improve on its performance at the 2022 World Cup, where the team was eliminated in the round of 16 by Morocco. Since then, Spain has claimed the 2024 European Championship title in Germany, secured the 2023 Nations League crown, and finished as runners-up to Portugal in the 2025 Nations League. The team aims to build on recent successes to contend for its second World Cup title, having first won the tournament in South Africa in 2010.