Lamine Yamal Trains Three Hours A Day To Target World Cup, Says Spain Boss De La Fuente

Luis de la Fuente has revealed that Lamine Yamal is training for three hours each day as Spain prepare for the World Cup, with the Barcelona winger working to be in the best condition possible after injury while aiming to drive La Roja towards a second global title.

Spain are seeking to add the World Cup to the European Championship title won in 2024, and De la Fuente expects Yamal to have a central role if fit. Spain will start their Group H campaign against Cape Verde in Atlanta on June 15, then face Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.

Yamal has been sidelined for the remainder of Barcelona's season after a hamstring problem suffered during the Blaugrana's victory over Celta Vigo in April. Despite that setback, early medical assessments indicated a return in time for the World Cup, giving Spain confidence about the winger's availability.

De la Fuente outlined how Yamal is working beyond standard sessions to speed recovery and maintain sharpness. "Apart from his great talent, he trains three hours a day, goes to the gym, visits his physio, his nutritionist and his psychologist, and gives himself to his invisible training, which is the most important thing," De la Fuente said, as quoted by Goal. "Invisible training is something that many people are unaware of. It's about spending 24 hours thinking about your work. Nobody gives Lamine anything. I talk about Lamine because I know him very well. God willing, he will arrive at the World Cup as well as possible."

Before injury, Yamal delivered 27 goal involvements in LaLiga this season, with 16 goals and 11 assists. Across the league, only Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe registered more, with 28 contributions from 24 goals and four assists. Yamal is also the only LaLiga player to reach double figures for assists.

Yamal's form for Spain has matched that club output. At Euro 2024, Yamal became the youngest player ever to score at either the European Championship or World Cup, overtaking Pele, who struck for Brazil as a 17-year-old against Wales at the 1958 World Cup, and was named Young Player of the Tournament.

The winger also created goals in Germany, finishing with four assists, the highest total recorded by any player at a single European Championship edition. Those performances underlined Yamal's influence in major tournaments and strengthened expectations that Yamal can lead Spain's attack again at the World Cup if fully fit.

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While Yamal's fitness remains a priority, De la Fuente stressed the importance of squad depth and flexibility, pointing to the example of Dani Olmo, who overcame an injury to shine during Euro 2024. "He added: We contemplate all the scenarios. If you are winning, if you are losing, if the opponent is left with 10 players... There are players who can give you 20 minutes and that also has enormous value. Olmo arrived injured. We were about to rule him out, but then he was decisive in the Euros."

Spain have not lifted the World Cup since 2010, and De la Fuente's approach links Yamal's individual drive with careful management of the wider squad. With structured preparation, detailed planning and several attacking options, Spain enter the tournament aiming to match their European success on the global stage.