Lamine Yamal suffers squad setback ahead of Finalissima, 2026 World Cup as Spain prospect suffers serious injury
Lamine Yamal has become one of the players to watch for the 2026 World Cup, not only because it will be his first appearance at just 18 years old, but also because of the question of whether he can help lead Spain through the tournament. However, with less than five months before the competition kicks off, Yamal has been dealt a squad blow for both the World Cup and the Finalissima as one of Spain’s prospects has suffered a serious injury.
With Yamal covering the right flank and Nico Williams the left, Spain boast two of the best wingers in the world right now, while the central striker role has rotated in recent matches. While Mikel Oyarzabal is viewed as the first choice, one player who had been earning more minutes is Samu Aghehowa, who despite his ambitions won’t be taking part in either the Finalissima or the World Cup.
FC Porto released a statement on Tuesday revealing that Samu Aghehowa sustained a sprain in his right knee along with an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the last game. With a recovery timeline expected to exceed six months, his participation in the 2026 World Cup has effectively been ruled out.
The Dragões faced Sporting CP on Monday in a clash for the top of Liga Portugal. In the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw at the Estádio do Dragão, Samu was substituted at halftime for Denis Gül after sustaining the injury, and the following day the club confirmed its severity.
Samu made his debut with the Spain national team in November 2024 against Switzerland in the UEFA Nations League. While the 21-year-old striker has logged only 131 minutes across four appearances and has yet to score, he’s been a regular in head coach Luis de la Fuente’s call-ups, most recently earning his first start against Bulgaria back in October.
During the 2025-26 season with Porto, Samu has emerged as one of the team’s breakout performers, tallying 20 goals in 32 games across all competitions, while in 2024-25 he recorded 27 goals in 45 matches. This new ACL injury represents a major setback in the striker’s career, not only disrupting his strong form but also eliminating his chance to feature for Spain in both the March Finalissima against Argentina and the World Cup in June.
Who will be the striker for Spain?
Spain have produced multiple attacking stars throughout their history, particularly over the past few decades, with strikers such as David Villa, Fernando Torres, Raúl González, and Fernando Morientes dominating the stage. Although talents like Yamal are the visible face of the current generation, no clear long-term figure has emerged to lock down that central role.
With Álvaro Morata falling out of favor under De la Fuente, Oyarzabal is currently Spain’s first-choice striker. La Roja also have Ferran Torres as a more mobile option through the middle, along with 33-year-old Borja Iglesias as a more physical alternative, a profile closer to Samu’s but with far more experience.