Barça to miss Ramin Yamal on US summer tour

There will be a notable absence from Barcelona's squad for this summer's tour of the United States: Lamine Yamal, Spain's breakout star at Euro 2024, won't be traveling across the ocean for the next few weeks. The 17-year-old prodigy recently burst onto the scene at the tournament, helping lead Spain to a record fourth European Championship title.

Yamal played every game for Spain in the tournament under coach Luis de la Fuente, and in his seven appearances for Germany the prodigy provided four assists and also scored one of the tournament's most memorable goals.

The youngster scored a curling shot into the top corner of Mike Maignan's goal in the semi-final against France, and a series of impressive performances saw Yamal named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament and also named Best Young Player of the Tournament.

A long stay at a major tournament will mean Yamal will be away from the pitch for some time, and the teenager, like other Spanish football stars, is effectively entitled to 21 consecutive days of rest, a condition previously negotiated between the players' union and Spain's governing body for football.

Barcelona's US tour matches will be played before Ramin Yamal's return

Although the tournament finished on July 14, Yamal has had to continue with national team duties in recent days. This special period allows the youngster and his Spain teammates to have a holiday until August 7. However, Barça will begin their pre-season preparations in the United States later this month.

The La Liga giants will kick off the tour on July 30 against Manchester City in Orlando before traveling to northern New Jersey to take on familiar Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid on August 3. Just three days later, Barcelona will finish off the tour in Baltimore against AC Milan. All three of these friendlies will be played before the aforementioned August 7 deadline.

Barcelona fans will flock to American stadiums this summer

Barça fans in the US will no doubt understand why Yamal and company should take a rest. After all, the Spanish team were not necessarily favourites going into the tournament but still managed to win. They also played in Germany just a few weeks after the 2023/24 La Liga campaign ended.

Nevertheless, Yamal will have been one of the highlights of the summer for Barca supporters, and despite his youth, the prodigy is currently establishing himself as one of the best wingers in the world, which will likely have made his US tour even more exciting for the Spanish side.

Although it's a disappointing loss, ticket sales won't drop despite Yamal's absence. Preseason matches featuring Barça are still likely to sell out. The Spanish team remains one of the most popular European clubs across the US, and they'll face other highly respected teams in the three matches.

Along with Yamal, other Barça Spain stars will also be missing from the US tour: Pedri is currently recovering from a knee injury, while Ferran Torres has been given permission to miss the trip and Fermín López is taking part in the Summer Olympics in France.

Photo: Imago