The uneasy balance between Barcelona and the Spanish national team has once again been tested — and, as so often happens, Lamine Yamal finds himself caught in the middle. The 18-year-old winger, hailed as the brightest jewel of both club and country, has been withdrawn from Spain’s squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. What might have been a routine medical management decision has turned into a flashpoint between two powerful institutions that have never quite seen eye to eye on how to handle their shared prodigy.
At the heart of the latest dispute lies a mystery that the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) tried to clarify with a sharp seven-word explanation. But before that clarification came, the timeline revealed just how communication — or the lack of it — can ignite conflict in elite soccer. It began on Friday, November 7, when Spain coach Luis de la Fuente announced his 26-man squad for decisive World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey.
Despite ongoing discomfort in his pubic area — an issue dating back to September — Yamal’s name was included. Three days later, chaos unfolded. According to Mundo Deportivo, the RFEF’s medical department learned on Monday afternoon that Barcelona’s medical team had performed an invasive radiofrequency procedure on Yamal earlier that morning. The purpose: to treat persistent pain that had troubled him for weeks.
The federation was not pleased. Its statement expressed “surprise and discontent” over learning of the procedure only hours before the national team’s camp began that same evening. Then, a couple of hours later, the RFEF finally received Barcelona’s official medical report, which recommended seven to ten days of rest — effectively ruling Yamal out of the international window.
The next morning, on Tuesday, the federation made its decision. Citing that it had acted “prioritizing the player’s health, safety, and well-being at all times”, the RFEF released the teenager from the squad and wished him “a speedy and full recovery.”
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RFEF’s attempt to calm the storm
The situation is not new. Tensions between Barcelona and Spain’s national team have simmered for months, particularly over how young players are managed during international duty. Back in September, Yamal’s groin injury first appeared after a series of matches for Spain — something that led Barca coach Hansi Flick to publicly urge De la Fuente to “be careful” with his players.
Sensing the growing uproar, senior RFEF officials moved swiftly to de-escalate. Aitor Karanka, the Federation’s sporting director, publicly rejected claims of institutional friction, saying the entire process had been handled collaboratively. “Unrest? That’s no longer my concern. It’s a matter for the doctors,” Karanka told Mundo Deportivo, insisting that both parties acted responsibly. He also revealed that Luis de la Fuente personally spoke with Yamal before his withdrawal.
Then came Karanka’s now-famous seven-word explanation, aimed at ending speculation: “It was done for the boy’s benefit.” Those words — precise, firm, and unambiguous — served as a clear message that the Federation was prioritizing Yamal’s well-being above all else. Karanka added, “The better he is at his club, the better he will be in the national team.”
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FC Barcelona have made a key decision on Lamine Yamal’s lingering groin injury ahead of Spain games
RFEF president voices more diplomatic tone
The Federation’s president, Rafael Louzan, also stepped in to calm tensions, striking a conciliatory tone in his remarks to Marca: “Sometimes there are circumstances that could be handled better, but the important thing is to take care of the player. He is important to both Barcelona and Spain.”
His approach suggests that the RFEF wants to close the chapter without further escalation. “We are not going to stir up any controversy,” he said, “The main goal is for him to recover well.”
