Barcelona star Fermín López will not be part of Spain’s squad traveling to the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer for the 2026 World Cup.
The 23-year-old suffered an unexpected injury during the match against Real Betis, which turned out to be far more serious than initially thought.
López played in Barcelona’s 3-1 victory over Real Betis on Sunday evening, but he was substituted at halftime due to pain in his leg. At first, it was not believed to be anything serious, but tests on Monday revealed a bigger problem.
According to “Diario Marca,” the scan showed a fracture in the fifth metatarsal bone of his right foot, which will require surgery.
He is expected to undergo surgery on Tuesday to repair the injury, but this means he will not be able to participate in the World Cup this summer — where he was expected to be an important part of Luis de la Fuente’s squad.
Spain will now have to rethink its plans just one week before the coach announces the final squad list.
This could strengthen Álex Baena’s position in the team and open opportunities for other attacking alternatives such as Ander Barrenetxea, Carlos Soler, Yeremy Pino, and Jesús Rodríguez.
It is still unclear how long López’s recovery will take, but in the worst-case scenario, he could be sidelined for up to three months.
In any case, he is expected to miss at least two months, which would keep him out beyond the date of the World Cup final.
From Barcelona’s perspective, there is hope that he will return at the beginning of next season, although if not, his absence could be extended a little longer.
