Is Lamine Yamal Starting in the World Cup Tonight? Spain Starting XI vs. Uruguay

After suffering a hamstring injury with Barcelona in April, Spain superstar Lamine Yamal’s status became a serious question for the 2026 World Cup. 

He made his World Cup debut in a limited role with 19 minutes vs. Cape Verde on Matchday 1. Yamal took the next step on Matchday 2 with 45 minutes in his first World Cup start vs. Saudi Arabia, putting him in position to start for Spain against Uruguay on Friday, June 26. 

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For tonight’s 8 p.m. ET matchup on FOX, Group H is up for grabs with Spain leading with four points, while Uruguay is tied for second place with two points. PrizePicks Team Picks has La Roja as the favorite with a 1.61x payout if they win tonight.

Yamal is in line to start for this vital matchup, but how much will he play?

Let’s look at if Lamine Yamal will start and highlight Yamal picks for Uruguay vs. Spain — including a promo and projections on PrizePicks.

Make your Spain and Lamine Yamal picks for World Cup 2026 on PrizePicks now!

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Is Lamine Yamal Starting Tonight in the World Cup Game vs. Uruguay?

Following a shocking 0-0 draw vs. Cape Verde on Matchday 1, Yamal made his first start for Spain at the World Cup vs. Saudi Arabia. 

After taking a dominant 4-0 lead in the first half — which included Yamal’s first World Cup goal — Spain elected to rest starters in the final 45 minutes. 

Ahead of Friday night’s clash with Uruguay, there’s been no indication that the starting lineup will shift, suggesting Yamal will make his second consecutive start. 

If Spain loses to Uruguay while Cape Verde wins, they will drop to third in the group. La Roja will clinch Group H with a win, and a draw will likely get the job done since Spain holds a +4 goal differential advantage over Cape Verde.

With that said, the stakes are high for Spain, meaning they lack the luxury to rest players. Yamal will likely start, and his minutes could even increase — unless Spain takes another demanding lead to half. 

Projected Spain Lineup vs. Uruguay

Here’s a look at Spain’s projected starting lineup vs. Uruguay tonight, featuring Yamal starting at right winger.

Predicted Spain XI (4-3-3): Simón; Cucurella, Laporte, Cubarsí, Porro; Rodri, Pedri, Olmo; Baena, Oyarzabal, Yamal

Find our full Uruguay vs. Spain prediction and lineups HERE

Lamine Yamal Pick, World Cup Stats to Target vs. Uruguay 

After turning in a strong performance in his first career World Cup start on Matchday 2, will Lamine Yamal shine once again vs. Uruguay? You can make your prediction by picking More or Less on Yamal’s projected stats below and cash in if you’re right.

• 1.5 Shots (Discount)
• 3.5 Shots (Standard)
• 33.5 Passes Attempted
• 1.5 Shots on Target (Demon)
• 0.5 Goal + Assist (Goblin)
• 0.5 Goals (Demon)
• 5.5 Attempted Dribbles
• 5 Crosses
• 2 Shots Assisted
• 23 Fantasy Score

Plus, PrizePicks is adding even more intrigue to Yamal’s projections with a special discount on his shots. 

As part of the Rep Your Side Sweepstakes, where you can win a trip for 2 to the WC Final, PrizePicks is offering a discount for Lamine Yamal today — dropping his shots from 3.5 to 1.5 vs. Uruguay.

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Now that we’ve laid out the wide variety of options for Yamal’s performance tonight, which projections stand out among the bunch?

Lamine Yamal – 1.5 Shots

• Yamal was featured for only 19 minutes on Matchday 1 and still logged 2 shots. He followed that with 5 shots over 45 minutes vs. Saudi Arabia.
• The teenage phenom is on pace for 9.84 shots per 90, placing him in the 100th percentile among right wingers in the 2026 World Cup, per FotMob.
• Even Yamal’s current 2.81 shots on target per 90 (98th percentile) surpass his discounted shots vs. Uruguay (1.5).
• Furthermore, the Barcelona superstar is on pace for 123.75 touches (98th percentile) and 12.66 touches in the box per 90 (98th percentile) at World Cup 2026. While those numbers will be nearly impossible to maintain in a full 90 minutes, it proves Spain’s willingness to feed Yamal the ball in limited minutes.

Lamine Yamal – 5.5 Successful Dribbles

• Spain right winger Nico Williams continues to recover from a hamstring injury and played for only 3 and 29 minutes in his first two World Cup appearances. 
• When Williams played for only 3 minutes vs. Cape Verde, Yamal totaled 4 attempted dribbles and 2 successful dribbles in 19 minutes.
• Uruguay left-back Juan Sanabria has several underwhelming stats through two games, including 0.67 duels won (third percentile), 2.00 defensive contributions (fourth percentile), 1.33 recoveries (11th percentile), and a 20.0% duel won rate per 90 (second percentile).
• If Williams is off the pitch while Yamal is playing, we could see Spain force-feed their superstar the ball. That leads to more dribbling chances, especially against a vulnerable defender.
• Yamal is currently on pace for 5.63 successful dribbles (97th percentile) and a 66.7 successful dribble rate per 90 (75th percentile).

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Make Uruguay vs. Spain World Cup 2026 Picks on PrizePicks

Spain looks to clinch Group H with a win vs. Uruguay tonight. That should put Yamal in line to start and perhaps see his minutes increase on Friday night. If that’s the case, PrizePicks’ special discount on his shots vs. Uruguay becomes even more enticing.

Whether you’re claiming the Lamine Yamal Discount, claiming your $50 bonus using promo code PLAYBOOKFC, aiming to win those Final tickets in the Rep Your Side Sweepstakes, or stacking your World Cup picks, PrizePicks is where to run your World Cup takes from the opening whistle through the Final.

Open the PrizePicks app, head to the World Cup board, and make your Uruguay vs. Spain picks before kickoff.

Keep it locked on PrizePicks Playbook all tournament for World Cup predictions, picks, news, and analysis for every game, every day of the World Cup.