Lamine Yamal’s Shock Exit From Spain Squad Leaves Luis de la Fuente “Baffled” as Barcelona Caught in Row With Spanish FA

Spain’s World Cup qualifying campaign has taken an unexpected twist after Lamine Yamal was abruptly withdrawn from the national squad by Barcelona, prompting a confused and visibly frustrated response from head coach Luis de la Fuente.

The 18-year-old winger, one of Europe’s most electrifying young talents, was released just 48 hours before Spain’s double-header against Serbia and Northern Ireland, with Barcelona citing “precautionary medical reasons.” The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), however, was reportedly not informed in advance, sparking internal tension between club and country.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” De la Fuente told reporters at Spain’s Las Rozas training base. “There was no discussion, no coordination. One moment he’s training, the next he’s gone. It’s unprecedented.”

A Confusing Timeline

According to reports, Yamal completed Spain’s full training session on Monday before being informed later that evening that he would return to Catalonia. Barcelona issued a brief statement early Tuesday morning citing “muscular fatigue and risk management”, but RFEF officials have yet to confirm receiving formal medical documentation.

Spanish media outlets claim the national team’s medical staff had cleared Yamal as “fit to play,” adding to the confusion around the decision. Sources close to the federation described Barcelona’s handling as “unilateral,” suggesting growing friction between the club and national setup over player workload.

“We were told after the fact,” one RFEF official told Marca. “The communication process was irregular, to say the least.”

Barcelona’s Perspective

Barcelona maintain that the withdrawal was based purely on player welfare, insisting that Yamal has been managing persistent muscle tightness since last weekend’s La Liga clash with Real Betis, in which he played 82 minutes.

Club doctors reportedly expressed concern that the teenager’s match load and training intensity with the national team could aggravate the issue, especially with a crucial Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich next week.