Barcelona and Spain's generational talent, Lamine Yamal, looks poised to take the footballing world by storm for the next two decades or so with winning the Ballon d'Or at the top of his priority list – but reports are now suggesting the 18-year-old star is suffering from a chronic groin injury that can never be cured. Whether that will impact how the rest of his playing days pan out remains to be seen.
There have not been many footballers on the same level as Yamal since he broke into his side's first-team – at just 15 years old – in August 2023. He has since picked up all manner of team honours, including two La Liga titles and Euro 2024 on the international stage.
His displays since breaking through into senior settings under midfielder-turned-boss Xavi Hernandez and now under the trusted guidance of Hansi Flick have proved to the world that he is ready to take on the crown of being the world's best footballer. But the latest revelation, the fact that he is battling a condition the powers at Barcelona fear has no cure, could halt his progression.
Report Suggests Barca and Spain Star Yamal is Battling with Incurable Condition
barcelona lamine yamal
During a somewhat poor performance in the most recent El Clasico as Real Madrid ran out 2–1 victors, some eagle-eyed supporters noticed their 18-year-old world-beater grimacing in pain and discomfort. He managed to play all 90 minutes, but it was clear from word go that he was not at his very best.
Since the start of the 2025/26 campaign, as Flick and his entourage look to retain their status as the champions of Spain, Yamal has missed a chunk of matches across La Liga and the Champions League due to an ongoing groin issue and reports have now claimed that it's a condition that could haunt the youngster.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, the Rocafonda-born winger – widely regarded as one of the best players in world football – is suffering from an issue called Pubalgia. The aforementioned condition prompts discomfort as the muscles converge in the pubic area.
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Barcelona higher-ups, as detailed in the aforementioned report, are said to be fearful that Yamal's condition could be incurable. Explaining the condition in more detail, physiotherapist Lluis Puig said: "First of all, we must say that pubalgia is not a muscle injury, but rather an alteration in the pubic area, where different muscles converge.
"We have to work on different levels, and we can't say that it's an injury that will be gone in a month," he continued before adding, "No, we'll have to live with it, and we'll have to do preventative and compensatory work to give him the assurances to be able to play at the highest level."
Lamine Yamal – Barcelona Statistics
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Interestingly, Yamal is not the only Barcelona player to have suffered similar issues over the years, as none other than Lionel Messi – who left the club to join Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021 before moving to Inter Miami – spoke about how Pubaglia took its toll on his career back in 2019 to Buenos Aires radio station club94.7, via The Sun.
"Pubalgia is complicated. I suffer from it for a while now, I do little training and I cannot play all the games. It is not a problem that can be solved overnight. I feel better now, but I still have not recoevered and I still need treatment."
Messi, as evidenced by his eight Ballon d'Or, managed the condition as best he could and went on to carve out a fantastic career full of individual and collective honours. Despite his early battle with Pubalgia, which often occurs during sports that require sudden changes of direction or intense twisting movements, Yamal will be hoping to do the same.
All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 31/10/2025