How Yamal overcame PUBALGIA as Nico Williams continues to struggle

Lamine Yamal’s season was significantly affected by pubalgia, a chronic groin condition that causes pain in the pubic and groin area and is particularly challenging for players who rely on dribbling and explosiveness. 

First diagnosed in September 2025, the injury flared while on international duty with Spain, forcing him to miss several matches for both club and country, leading to concerns about his mobility and ability to shoot with full power, with specialists warning the condition reduces a player’s ability to move and shoot by almost 50% at times due to pain, and it was evident with his dip in form.

Pubalgia is notoriously complex. Sports scientists have stressed that it cannot simply be cured and can only be managed. To address it, when it became an enduring issue, Yamal underwent a radiofrequency treatment in November 2025, a minimally invasive procedure performed by a Belgian specialist working with Barcelona’s medical team.

The treatment was designed to modulate nerve pain and reduce inflammation, alongside a tailored physiotherapy and load-management plan. Additionally, rather than treating symptoms only when they appeared, Yamal was urged to commit to a strict recovery routine and preventative strengthening work on his groin, i.e., to continue working on it even when he is not in pain.

Over the weeks that followed, his time away from the team due to injury relapse reduced, he became sharper, and his overall contribution increased, signalling an improvement in his fitness. He is currently on a four-game scoring run and has already notched 17 goal contributions in as many LALIGA starts this season.

His experience contrasts with his friend, Nico Williams, who has also struggled with pubalgia, which has limited him to 14 LALIGA starts, in which he has only managed six goal contributions.