Why Barcelona Star Lamine Yamal Will Not Wear Spain’s No. 10 Jersey at the 2026 World Cup

• Barcelona winger, Lamine Yamal will not wear the number 10 shirt for Spain at the upcoming FIFA World Cup
• The three-time Al Liga winner has been handed the legendary no 10 jersey worn by Lionel Messi
• The La Roja will take on Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H in their quest to win their first title after 16 years

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Spain were the first country to release squad numbers for their 26 players ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The initial 26-man list released by coach Luis de la Fuente caused uproar on social media following the exclusion of Real Madrid players for the first time.

La Roja manager included Premier League stars like David Raya (Arsenal), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), and Rodri (Manchester City), making the list alongside eight Barcelona stars.

The one-time winner is coming into the tournament form on their side and a confident De la Fuente recently described his team as being the favourites alongside two other nations.

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Which Shirt Number Will Yamal Wear at the WC?

Lamine Yamal inherited Lionel Messi's iconic No. 10 shirt at Barcelona following his breakthrough performances for the Catalan giants.

According to Sportbible, the teenage sensation will wear the No. 19 jersey throughout Spain's 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. The prestigious No. 10 shirt has instead been assigned to his Barcelona teammate, Dani Olmo.

The No. 10 jersey carries significant history for La Roja, having previously been worn by Spanish legends such as Raul Gonzalez, Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas.

While some fans were surprised by head coach Luis de la Fuente's decision, reports suggest that Yamal personally chose to keep the No. 19 shirt, the number he has become accustomed to wearing for the national team.

Elsewhere in Spain's squad, Gavi has been handed the No. 9 jersey, while Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal will wear umbers. 17 and 21 respectively.

Defenders Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsi, who both featured in Spain's recent World Cup qualifier against Turkey, have been assigned the number 14 and number 22 shirts, respectively.

Meanwhile, Dano Olmo explained why coach Luis De la Fuente opted to retain the jersey numbers worn by the players two years running. He said via Mundo Deportivo:

"There are no problems behind closed doors; there’s no fuss about wearing the No. 10. It’s just rumours going around outside. It’s a number I’ve worn before, the one we won the Euros with. It’s a number I like, so why change it when everything is going well."

Lamine Yamal is expected to recover from his injury sustained during a La Liga match last season before the commencement of their first World Cup match against Cape Verde on June 15.

Di Maria names favourites to win 2026 WC

Legit.ng earlier reported that Argentina legend Angel Di Maria has named France, Spain and Portugal as contenders to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The former Juventus player explained that the three nations will make it as far as the semifinal in the upcoming tournament.