Spain's World Cup final hopes shaken by Lamine Yamal injury amid historic 'curse' narrative

Spain advanced to the World Cup final after a 2‑0 semifinal victory over France and will meet Argentina in the championship match. Teenage Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, who arrived at the tournament with a pre‑existing thigh injury, was seen training with a large bandage on his left leg and missed a session, prompting coach Luis de la Fuente to reassure fans while uncertainty about his fitness remains. A second player, Pedro Porro, also missed training, adding to the concern.

The tournament has revived discussion of the so‑called "World Cup curse," a pattern in which coaches who guide teams to the final fail to win. Historical examples include George Raynor (Sweden 1958), Ernst Happel (Netherlands 1978), Guus Hiddink (South Korea 2002) and Thomas Tuchel (England 2022). The curse was broken in 2022 when Argentina’s Lionel Scaloni led his nation to victory on home soil in Qatar.