The second international pause of the 2025-26 season has arrived, granting Lamine Yamal a week of reprieve. While this break is welcomed for the 18-year-old who is in dire need of rest, the unfortunate news for the Barcelona and Spain forward is that he must dedicate it to recovering from a groin injury sustained during the Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain the prior Wednesday.
Lamal’s groin setback might simply be chalked up to misfortune and the demands of elite-level soccer, but when considering the teenager’s extensive appearance record — 130 senior matches and 8,158 minutes played by his 18th birthday — the specter of exhaustion and the potential for football to prematurely wear down its rising young star becomes a cause for concern.
No other professional footballer has logged anywhere close to the number of appearances and minutes that Yamal has by the age of 18, and his heavy workload has prompted FIFPRO, the international players’ association, to utilize his playing time for club and country as a key example in a comprehensive 51-page analysis of the 2024-25 season, titled “Overworked and Underprotected — Player Heath and Performance Impact.”
“The escalating intensity of the modern game presents a significant challenge for seasoned professionals, but the risks are magnified for young players aged 16 to 20,” stated Dr. Darren Burgess, Chairman of FIFPRO’s High-Performance Advisory Network. “During a period when their physical and mental faculties are still maturing, the pressures of tightly packed schedules and intense training regimens can have long-lasting implications for both their performance levels and career longevity.”
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So, to what extent has Yamal’s activity surpassed that of his peers? The response to this question is quite striking and potentially worrisome.
Yamal’s 130 appearances for Barcelona and Spain before reaching his 18th birthday nearly double the count of the second-most capped player among current players from those two teams: Pau Cubarsí, the 18-year-old defender, has 69 appearances, followed by midfielders Gavi (60) and Pedri (49).
Looking beyond Barcelona and Spain, Yamal’s statistics remain exceptionally high compared to players competing at a similar level.
Yamal’s remarkable performances last year led to his recognition as the 2024 Golden Boy — an award presented by the Italian publication Tuttosport to the most exceptional Under-21 footballer in Europe — having accumulated 8,158 minutes on the field by his 18th birthday.
None of the three most recent recipients — Jude Bellingham (2023), Gavi (2022), and Pedri (2021) — come close to matching that figure. Bellingham had the closest number, with 6,216 minutes by his 18th birthday, while Gavi (4,195) and Pedri (3,811) both recorded notably fewer minutes.
Bellingham’s workload has frequently been a topic of concern, as the Real Madrid and England midfielder has been a regular fixture at the club level since breaking through as a 16-year-old with Birmingham City. However, the now-22-year-old did not reach his 100th senior appearance until the age of 18 years and 10 months.
Guess what? Yamal became the youngest player to ever reach 100 games, achieving this milestone at 17 years and seven months — surpassing the previous record holder, Romelu Lukaku, by four months.
Thus far in his exceptional career, since making his Barcelona debut at the young age of 15 years, nine months, and 16 days against Real Betis in April 2023, Yamal has largely avoided significant injuries, missing just 18 games for Barca and Spain during that period. However, according to Transfermarkt, his injuries have already resulted in 133 days of absence from the field since his club debut.
Should Barcelona’s concerns be confirmed, Yamal’s most recent injury could sideline him for as long as a month, preventing him from participating in Spain’s World Cup qualifying matches against Georgia and Bulgaria in the coming week and casting doubt on his availability for El Clasico against Real Madrid on Oct. 26.
“We are uncertain about Lamine’s return date due to the nature of this injury,” Barcelona coach Hansi Flick stated on Friday. “It’s challenging to predict because it’s not a muscular issue. We can’t determine if he’ll be back in two, three, or four weeks, so I don’t know if he’ll be prepared for the Clasico. We must carefully manage his playing time. We’ll proceed cautiously, step by step.”
There is already apparent friction between Barcelona and Spain regarding the national team’s management of the player. Flick, who coached Germany after leaving Bayern Munich in 2021 and before joining Barcelona in 2024, openly criticized Spain’s utilization of Yamal during the September World Cup qualifiers.
“It’s disappointing,” he said. “He [Yamal] joined the national team while experiencing pain, played, and was administered painkillers to enable him to play. He played 79 minutes and 73 minutes — that does not constitute proper player care.”
“Spain possesses top-quality players in every position. It would be prudent to prioritize the well-being of young players. I’m disheartened by the situation; it seems they are subjecting them to undue stress.”
In response, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente expressed surprise at Flick’s comments, stating that he “was taken aback, considering that he [Flick] is a manager who has also coached a national team and I anticipated he would exhibit more empathy.”
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Hislop: Yamal will compete for the Ballon d’Or every year
Shaka Hislop believes it’s only a matter of time before Lamine Yamal claims his own Ballon d’Or trophy.
Yamal is not the first young player to find himself at the center of disagreements between club and national team commitments.
Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, two players who achieved international recognition at prominent tournaments with England at the age of 18, consistently featured in the starting lineups for both club and country. Both have since confessed to prematurely returning to action for the national team following prolonged injury recoveries.
Owen and Rooney were also past their peak and no longer selected by England before the age of 30, highlighting potential warning signs for Yamal to consider.
“From a physiological standpoint, exposing adolescents to repeated match and training workloads designed for fully developed players elevates the likelihood of overuse injuries,” cautioned Burgess, who also previously served as a high-performance director at Arsenal and Liverpool. “Growth plates, tendons, and ligaments remain susceptible during these formative years, and excessive high-speed running or inadequate recovery periods can result in lasting structural damage.”
“What might begin as a relatively minor issue — a recurring hamstring strain, a stress fracture — can rapidly evolve into a pattern that plagues a player throughout their career. Perhaps the greatest consequence of all is unrealized potential. A player thrust into the spotlight prematurely, without sufficient protection and gradual development, may witness their career curtailed before it truly begins.”
Consequently, Barcelona and Spain bear a significant responsibility to Yamal and other young players who don their renowned jerseys. At 18, Yamal possesses immense potential and could be the successor to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but that opportunity will be forfeited if he is burned out before reaching the age of 30.
“If the sport is truly dedicated to nurturing the next generation, it must prioritize development over exploitation,” Burgess concluded. “Only then will today’s emerging talents have the opportunity to evolve into tomorrow’s enduring stars.”
