Spain's Young Stars Yamal and Williams Start on Bench in World Cup Opener

In a surprising move, Spain's promising wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams will not start in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Cabo Verde. Both players are recovering from hamstring injuries and are expected to come off the bench in the second half. Coach Luis de la Fuente has confirmed their readiness to participate, despite their limited match fitness. The match is set to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and fans are eager to see how Spain performs without two of their key players from the recent Euros victory.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 15, 2026, 21:47 IST

Spain's Lineup for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

In their first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Spain will not feature Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams in the starting lineup. The match is set for Monday, June 15, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Both wingers played crucial roles in Spain's triumph at the 2024 Euros but will start on the bench today.

The decision to keep them out of the starting XI stems from their inability to play a full match due to recent hamstring injuries sustained at the end of the domestic season with Barcelona and Atletico Bilbao. They also missed Spain's pre-tournament friendlies against Iraq and Peru. However, both players are anticipated to enter the game during the second half.

Coach Luis de la Fuente mentioned in a pre-match press conference that both players are at a similar recovery stage. He stated, “Let me decide who starts. Lamine is in perfect condition. He has trained excellently and we have all players available. We are adhering to all medical advice from both the national team and the clubs. Everyone can confirm Lamine is ready to be part of the team tomorrow. He may not be able to play the full 90 minutes, but he can participate if necessary.”

De la Fuente also noted that Williams is in a comparable situation to Yamal, having undergone a similar recovery process and spending considerable time together during rehabilitation.

Spain's Starting Lineup: Unai Simón; Marcos Llorente, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Pedri, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal, Gavi.

Spain's Substitutes: Álex Baena, Joan García, Yéremy Pino, Dani Olmo, Víctor Muñoz, Mikel Merino, Borja Iglesias, Nico Williams, Pedro Porro, David Raya, Alejandro Grimaldo, Martín Zubimendi, Eric García, Marc Pubill, Lamine Yamal.

Cabo Verde's Starting Lineup: Vozinha; Steven Moreira, Pico Lopes, Diney Borges, Sidny Cabral; Kevin Pina, Laros Duarte; Ryan Mendes, Jamiro Monteiro, Jovane Cabral; Dailon Livramente.

Cabo Verde's Substitutes: CJ dos Santos, Garry Rodrigues, Telmo Arcanjo, Willy Semedo, Márcio Rosa, Logan Costa, Stopira, Kelvin Pires, João Paulo, Hélio Varela, Wagner Pina, Nuno da Costa, Gilson Benchimol, Deroy Duarte, Yannick Semedo.