Sofia Quijada
Spain will be without Fermin Lopez at the 2026 World Cup after the Barcelona forward suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal of his right foot during Sunday’s LaLiga match against Betis.
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Lopez was substituted at half-time after taking a knock to his foot. On Monday, Barcelona released an official medical report confirming the diagnosis. He requires surgery and faces a recovery window of six to eight weeks, which rules him out of the tournament in North America.
Coach Luis de la Fuente is set to announce his final 26-man squad on Monday, May 25th, and will now need to plan without one of the national team’s key attacking options.
Fermin had an standout season at club level, contributing to Barcelona‘s LaLiga title. The Huelva-born forward also carries significant international pedigree — he was part of the Spain side that won the European Championship and claimed Olympic gold in 2024, with the World Cup firmly in his sights as the next target in what would have been an international treble.
That ambition will now have to wait. Lopez‘s next realistic shot at football’s biggest stage is 2030.
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