Published on 4/25/2026
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said on Friday that injured young star Lamine Gamal will return to the field during the 2026 World Cup in football this summer with the Spanish national team, stressing that he will be “stronger” than he is currently.
Flick told reporters, “The situation is not easy for us, and it is not easy for him either.”
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He added, “He realizes that this is his first muscle injury. What I can notice is that he has great focus and strong motivation. He will be absent from us at the moment, but I believe that he will be present in the 2026 World Cup, and he will return stronger than he is now.”
Flick indicated that Jamal may have been injured as a result of the error that resulted in the penalty kick being awarded, but he did not realize the seriousness of the situation because he had not previously suffered a muscle injury.
“He felt something after the violation, but I think it was not major,” Flick said. “He decided to take the penalty kick, and after that it might have gotten worse.”
He added, “He has never suffered a muscle injury, so it is part of him learning to understand the signals that the body sends.”
He continued, “It is not easy because he is still young, but in the end it is an experience, and this is what he must learn.”
Flick noted, “I greatly appreciate what he presented in recent weeks. He was at an amazing level, and he is more mature than his 18 years of age.”
He added, “He is an intelligent and conscious player and knows what he wants. Of course, this injury affects him, but now he must focus on the recovery process, to return more ready and better than before.”
The 18-year-old player was confirmed to miss the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury he suffered on Wednesday, during Barcelona’s victory over Celta Vigo in the Spanish League.
Jamal won a penalty kick and scored it successfully, contributing to Barcelona remaining nine points ahead at the top of the standings against Real Madrid, but he fell injured immediately after that, and was replaced.
Jamal scored 24 goals with 18 assists this season for the Catalan giant in various competitions, and he also has nine goals in the last 12 league matches.
Jamal, who finished second in the Ballon d’Or race last year and contributed to the Spanish national team winning the 2024 European Nations Cup, is considered one of the main pillars of Barcelona’s efforts to defend the Spanish League title.
Barcelona will visit Getafe on Saturday, while Real Madrid will face Real Betis on Friday.
