Spain's Yamal and Nico Return to Training Ahead of World Cup Opener

Spain’s World Cup build-up finally brought a dose of calm on Thursday. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams were back on the grass.

Both wingers trained with the squad on June 11, easing the tension that had crept in around La Roja’s camp before Monday’s Group-stage opener against Cape Verde in Atlanta. For a team that swept to Euro 2024 with those two ripping full-backs apart, the sight of them moving freely again mattered almost as much as the result will next week.

Yamal, Barcelona’s teenage phenomenon, had not played since pulling up with a hamstring injury on April 22. Every update since then had been weighed, dissected, worried over. A player who changes Spain’s tempo with a single touch had been reduced to gym work and medical bulletins.

On the other flank, Williams had also disappeared from the pitch. The Athletic Bilbao winger missed the end of his club’s season and had been sidelined for a month, his own fitness a running subplot to Spain’s preparations.

The pair lit up Euro 2024, stretching defences, dragging markers out of shape, turning tight knockout ties into open contests. Their absence this season, at both club and international level, has been felt in every attacking move that lacked their directness.

So when they stepped back into full training, shoulders visibly relaxed around the squad.

“We know that both of them are coming back from important injuries,” right-back Pedro Porro told reporters. “They are recovering, they are happy, they are with the group and that is the most important thing.”

Luis de la Fuente had already tried to cool the panic earlier in the week. The Spain coach said he was confident both would be available to play some part against Cape Verde, but warned that a starting role for either was unlikely. Thursday’s session backed up that cautious optimism: present, involved, but still being managed.

The plan, for now, looks clear. Spanish media report De la Fuente will stick with the side that beat Peru 3-1 in Spain’s final warm-up game, a performance that offered enough fluency to trust again. Alex Baena and Ferran Torres are expected to keep their places on the wings, deputising for Yamal and Williams from the first whistle.

That leaves Spain with an intriguing weapon on the bench. If the game in Atlanta tightens, if Cape Verde dig in and the spaces shrink, De la Fuente could turn to two of the most devastating wide players in the tournament for a controlled, limited burst.

Spain arrive at this World Cup as European champions, but also as a squad that has carried more knocks than they would like into the summer. On Thursday, at least, one thing became clear: their most explosive wide duo will be part of the story. The only question now is how soon De la Fuente dares to unleash them.