<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/football/article/fifa-world-cup-2026-david-villa-visits-spain-squad-ahead-of-knockout-match-vs-austria-23637921" rel="nofollow">Spanish national team</a> manager Luis De La Fuente confirmed on Wednesday that Lamine Yamal has reached full fitness and is capable of playing the entire 90 minutes if required during the World Cup knockout stages.
The 18-year-old Barcelona star has had a quiet tournament compared to other global icons, scoring just once and playing 141 minutes during the group stage.&nbsp;
Addressing the media at SoFi Stadium ahead of Thursday's Round of 32 showdown against Austria, De La Fuente suggested the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/football/article/fifa-world-cup-2026-spain-lamine-yamal-downplays-france-hype-in-competition-23637744" rel="nofollow">star winger Yamal</a>'s recovery is over and he is fit to start again.
"Lamine can play whatever we ask him to play. We've been quite prudent with him, as we do in managing the recovery of all our players, respecting their timelines and also following the evolution of the matches. Lamine is doing very well now and, above all, you can all see how much he wants to play. So we'll see if he plays tomorrow." De La Fuente said.
<h2>Lamine Yamal shone through an injury-ridden season for Barcelona</h2>
Despite sitting out the final six games of the domestic season with Barcelona due to a hamstring issue, Yamal enjoyed an incredible club campaign, scoring 24 goals and providing 17 assists across all tournaments.
In this World Cup, he featured as a late substitute in Spain's opening stalemate with Cape Verde and played 76 minutes in the final group match against Uruguay, but scored against Saudi Arabia.
The teenager is reportedly hungry to make his mark on the tournament alongside other elite stars who have shone in the competition, including <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/football/article/fifa-world-cup-2026-lionel-messi-earns-praise-from-argentina-coach-lionel-scaloni-23637307" rel="nofollow">legendary Lionel Messi</a>, Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, and Vinicius Junior.
As Spain attempts to secure its first World Cup knockout victory since their 2010 win, the Spanish medical team provided further positive news on Wednesday.
De La Fuente revealed that Crystal Palace winger Yeremy Pino has made a 'miraculous' recovery after suffering a left shoulder sprain against Uruguay, making him fully available to face Austria. Liverpool's new acquisition, winger Victor Munoz, has also returned to full training after sitting out the group stage with a muscular problem.
"Victor is in good shape, but he has not competed for a long time. Depending on the match, we will see if I can include him or not." De La Fuente concluded.

Spain coach Luis De La Fuente confirms Lamine Yamal is ready for full matches ahead of the World Cup Round of 32 clash against Austria at SoFi Stadium


FIFA World Cup 2026: Lamine Yamal fully fit for Spain's match against Austria, says De La Fuente

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Home / Sports / Football / Article / FIFA World Cup 2026: Lamine Yamal fully fit for Spain's match against Austria, says De La Fuente

FIFA World Cup 2026: Lamine Yamal fully fit for Spain's match against Austria, says De La Fuente

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