<p>The penalty went in, Barcelona secured the lead, but Lamine Yamal never got up to celebrate.</p><p>Instead, the 18-year-old prodigy dropped to the turf at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night, clutching his left hamstring.</p><p>In that instant, Spain's World Cup hopes may have taken a devastating blow just 54 days before their opening match as it risks losing the name that sits at the top of our list of <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/huddle/soccer-world-cup/news/youngest-players-fifa-world-cup">the youngest players to watch at the 2026 FIFA World Cup</a>.</p><p>What should have been a routine moment of triumph turned into an anxious vigil. Yamal had converted from the spot in the 40th minute, giving Barcelona a 1-0 lead over Celta Vigo.</p><p>But rather than wheeling away in celebration, he immediately signaled to the bench, his finger raised in distress.</p><p>Medical staff rushed on. Nearly 20 minutes later, after treatment on the pitch and a delay caused by a medical emergency in the crowd, he limped down the tunnel, replaced by 20-year-old Roony Bardghji.</p><p>Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was measured in his post-match assessment, but his words carried weight. "We have to wait until tomorrow," he said. "There is something because he felt it. He wouldn't have left the pitch without a reason."</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>A Rising Star's Brutal Timing</h2><p>Club sources told ESPN the initial diagnosis points to a torn hamstring, though the full severity won't be known until scans are completed later this week, once swelling subsides.</p><p>If confirmed, Yamal could miss the remainder of Barcelona's season, including the crucial Clásico against Real Madrid on May 10.</p><p>More ominously, his participation in this summer's World Cup in North America hangs precariously in the balance.</p><p>The timing feels cruel. Yamal has been nothing short of sensational this season, amassing 24 goals and 17 assists across 45 appearances for Barcelona.</p><p>He's the linchpin of Spain's attack, the teenage sensation who helped lead La Roja to European Championship glory two years ago.</p><p>His meteoric rise has made him indispensable to both club and country.</p><p>For Spain, <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/world-cup/mens-world-cup/fifa-world-cup-2026-outrights-7009197">currently favourites to lift the World Cup trophy</a>, losing Yamal would represent something like a seismic shift.</p><p>Coach Luis de la Fuente and Spanish fans are now caught in an agonising waiting game.</p><p>The nation's <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/world-cup/mens-world-cup/spain-v-cape-verde-9924149">opening match against Cape Verde</a> is scheduled for June 15. Whether their brightest star will be fit to play remains terrifyingly uncertain.</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><h2>Barcelona's Double Blow</h2><p>Yamal wasn't Barcelona's only casualty on Wednesday. Portugal defender João Cancelo was also withdrawn in the 24th minute with an apparent right thigh injury, further depleting Hansi Flick's squad at a critical juncture.</p><p>Barcelona sits nine points clear atop <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/soccer/spain/spanish-la-liga">La Liga</a> with six matches remaining, but losing two key players in one match feels ominous.</p><p>The victory over Celta Vigo should have been a celebration of Barcelona's march toward the title. Instead, it ended with questions and worry.</p><p>"We hope their injuries are not serious and that they are back with us as soon as possible," said goalkeeper Joan García, speaking for a suddenly anxious dressing room.</p><p>For Yamal, who has battled a sports hernia at times this season but rarely missed matches, this injury represents uncharted territory.</p><p>At 18, he's already played 175 senior matches. Now he faces what could be the most consequential layoff of his young career, one measured not in missed matches but in shattered dreams.</p><p>The world will know more Thursday. Until then, Spain holds its breath.</p>