World Cup 2026 injury news and updates as Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe, Estevao and more battle to prove fitness

The 2026 World Cup is just over a month away, with the world’s best players contesting the biggest prize in football across the USA, Canada and Mexico from 11 June. The 2026 edition sees a record 48 teams contest the World Cup across 104 matches, with final squad lists to be submitted in late May for each participating nation. But while the build-up to the biggest event in sport is well underway, players must first navigate the final few weeks of the 2025/26 club season .

And the packed schedule has already proven too much for some players, with a number of stars from across Europe’s top leagues having suffered injuries to put their World Cup campaigns in jeopardy. The likes of Kylian Mbappe , Lamine Yamal and Luka Modric are all facing a race to be fit in time for the tournament, though some stars have already been ruled out as their seasons end in heartbreak. Here, The Independent takes a look at which players are facing a late battle to be fit in time for the summer and which stars have been ruled out.

Kylian Mbappe The France star is still the talisman for Les Blues but his World Cup campaign is now at risk after a hamstring injury suffered against Real Betis on 24 April . A club statement from Real Madrid said the Frenchman suffered “an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg”, though no estimate was provided on the length of his lay-off. Depending on the severity of the injury, Mbappe could even be back for the end of Madrid’s league campaign, though a more serious injury could rule him out until next season.

Lamine Yamal Spain starlet Lamine Yamal has emerged as the key man for both La Roja and Barcelona, though the 18-year-old is now at risk of missing the World Cup after suffering a hamstring injury against Celta Vigo on 22 April . Yamal went off injured against Celta Vigo on 22 April (AP) His club issued a statement confirming that Yamal would miss the rest of the club season, though it did add that “he is expected to be available for the World Cup. ” Estevao Chelsea youngster Estevao is another notable player to have suffered a hamstring injury late into the season, with the Brazilian forced off in his side’s loss to Manchester United on 18 April.