Spain's coach: Lamine Yamal is on the bench.

Luis de la Fuente, the coach of the Spanish national football team, confirmed on Sunday that Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona winger, is ready; however, he will not start in the match on Monday against Cape Verde, marking the beginning of "La Roja's" participation in the 2026 World Cup.

De la Fuente said at a press conference on the eve of the match that "the best news is that Lamine is in excellent condition. He has prepared very well and is training wonderfully; just like Nico (Williams) and Victor (Munoz). He is available, even though he won't start the match, we will see how it goes."

The coach of the Spanish national football team added, in response to a second question about the 18-year-old talent who has not played since April 22 due to a thigh injury: "He is ready to play tomorrow without any problem. Not for 90 minutes; but to come in at some point during the match, he is in perfect condition to play for a few minutes. If he weren't, he wouldn't even be on the bench."

When asked about the candidate status given to Spain, the coach did not want to answer directly: "What does that mean in sports? It places you among the potential candidates, but only one can win... I give it some importance because it honors the exceptional careers of some players. I have never seen a World Cup with this many candidates who can actually win it," while also pointing out that "La Roja" has "the best midfield in the world."

The Spanish national team will play its first match in the World Cup on Monday in Atlanta against Cape Verde as part of Group H.

Alex Baena, midfielder for Atletico Madrid, said earlier today at Kennesaw University, in the suburbs of Atlanta, where "La Roja" held its last complete training session before Monday's match: "The first match helps build confidence. This is important mentally. With the length of the tournament, it's good to gain confidence."

For Mikel Merino, midfielder for Arsenal, who has returned 100% after a foot injury that kept him off the field during the second half of the season, "the players are very motivated. Physically, we have prepared very well. We arrived in the best possible conditions; but the most important thing in these tournaments is the mental aspect."