GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Spain will have a full squad available for its World Cup opener against Cape Verde on Monday with forward Víctor Muñoz returning to training a day after Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams also were back.
Spain was hit by injuries late last season and had to adjust its preparations in the run-up to soccer’s biggest tournament. Mikel Merino and Fabián Ruiz also dealt with injury setbacks before returning to the squad. One player who did not make it in time was Barcelona midfielder Fermín López, who has a fractured foot.
The biggest concern for Spain had been with Yamal, the young Barcelona winger who injured his left hamstring in a Spanish league game in April.
The 18-year-old Yamal is expected to lead the team as it tries to win its second World Cup title. Spain won soccer’s greatest prize in South Africa in 2010, when Yamal was 2 years old.
Williams hurt his hamstring while playing for Athletic Bilbao in a league match in May. Both Williams and Yamal were out for the season with their clubs as they focused on recovering in time for the World Cup.
Muñoz, who returned to practice on Friday, sustained a muscle injury while playing with Osasuna in May.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente probably won’t use Muñoz, Yamal and Williams from the start against Cape Verde on Monday in Atlanta. They are more likely to be fully fit for Spain’s second game against Saudi Arabia on June 21, also in Atlanta. The team’s final group match will be against South American powerhouse Uruguay on June 26 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Spain, which has been training in Tennessee, rebounded from a round of 16 elimination by Morocco at the 2022 World Cup by winning the 2024 European Championship in Germany. La Roja also won the 2023 Nations League, and was runner-up to Portugal in the 2025 Nations League.
Spain hasn’t gone further than the last 16 in the World Cup since its lone title in 2010.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
