Barcelona fear Lamine Yamal has chronic injury in serious diagnosis 'There is no cure'

Lamine Yamal is one of the most talented players the football world has seen in recent years. Making his debut for Barcelona's first team in August 2023 at just 15 years old, Yamal played a pivotal role in both his club's and his country's success in 2024.

With his recent success, he has secured second place in the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings behind Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele and became the first player to win the Kopa Trophy twice. However, the 18-year-old player is battling a chronic groin injury that he may have to contend with for the rest of his career, alongside his impressive football career.

Lamine Yamal's ongoing groin injury problems could become chronic without a permanent cure. It has emerged that Yamal suffers from a chronic groin condition for which there is no cure. According to a report in the Spanish newspaper Sport, Yamal has contracted a condition known as pubalgia. Club officials are concerned that the pain is chronic and untreatable.

Pubalgia is a condition that differs from normal injuries experienced by footballers in the groin area, caused by the muscles in the groin area contracting together, resulting in pain and discomfort. It is sometimes referred to as sports hernia and stems from an imbalance in the muscles of the groin and abdominal area. Generally, there is no definitive treatment method other than surgical intervention. The Barcelona medical team is concerned that Yamal's condition may become chronic.

Pubalgia, a condition experienced by footballers in the groin area, is something that Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has battled with in the past. In an interview in 2019, the Argentine star said, ‘Pubalgia is a complex condition. I suffered from it for a long time, I couldn't train much and I couldn't play in all the matches.’

Sports traumatology specialist Dr Ripoll explained to El Larguero how the injury would affect Yamal's abilities on the football pitch. Dr Ripoll said, "It's clearly a difficult injury to treat. It is characterised by pain that reduces the player's ability to move and shoot by almost 50 per cent. We saw the same thing in El Clasico. This is an injury-inducing pain that allows the player to participate in matches but keeps him from his best level and significantly reduces his performance."