Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has expressed cautious optimism that star forwards Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, along with midfielder Victor Munoz, will be fit to play in the country's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta, Georgia.

All three players remained at Spain's training base in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Sunday to continue their rehabilitation rather than travel with the squad for Monday's final warm-up friendly against Peru in Puebla, Mexico. Yamal, 18, has been managing both a groin problem and a hamstring injury sustained in April, while Williams and Munoz have also been working through their own injury recoveries. "If there are no setbacks in the coming days, we expect them to be available on the 15th," De la Fuente told reporters. "I think all three will be in a position to play." However, when pressed on whether the players would be ready to start from the beginning against Cape Verde, the coach struck a more measured tone, saying the priority was ensuring the recovery timelines continued to be met so they could be "available to be selected at some point in the match."

Despite the absences of key players for the warm-up, De la Fuente insisted the final preparatory fixture against Peru was being taken seriously. "For us, this is a very important match," he said. "We are not approaching it simply as a preparation game."

Spain arrive at the tournament as one of the leading favourites, buoyed by their triumph at Euro 2024, in which Yamal and Williams were central figures. A Goldman Sachs forecasting model gives them a tournament-high 26 percent probability of lifting the trophy. Forward Yeremy Pino said the squad was comfortable carrying the weight of expectation. "The favourites tag is normal," Pino said. "We've had some very good years and we carry that with a lot of pride. Pressure should not make us play worse. It should make us improve and play better."

The availability of Yamal and Williams will be closely watched, as the two Barcelona and Athletic Club Bilbao wingers respectively were instrumental in Spain's recent international success. Their participation from the outset could prove decisive as the defending European champions begin their bid for a fifth World Cup title.